May and June
at the Middle School We are fast
approaching the end of the year and here are some
events to note as we move into May.......
Friday, May 2 - SPRING DANCE -
Grade 7 & 8 7-9 PM
Friday, May 9 - 6th & 7th Rec Night
7-9 PM
Friday, May 16 - Push Cart Fair, 8:30 -
10:30 AM
Wednesday, May 28 - Grade 7 to
Camp Chingachgook
Thursday, May 29 - Sports Physicals by
Dr. Sipperly at the Middle School
Wednesday, June 4 - Grade 8 Spartan
Games Day
Wednesday, June 11 - Grade 8 Trip to
Great Escape
PLEASE NOTE:
The dates for the NYS Grade 8 World Language
Oral
Tests have been changed to Monday and Tuesday, June
9 & 10.
Preparations
are underway for 8th Grade Class Night !!!
8th Grade Class
Night
Burnt-Hills-Ballston Lake Class of 2012
Friday, June 20, 2008
AWARDS and CLASS NIGHT CEREMONY
6 PM at the High
School Auditorium followed by the 8th Grade Dance
MUSIC OF
THE DECADES
7- 10 PM at the Middle School
Parents, family and
friends are invited to attend the
Awards and Class Night ceremony at the High School
starting at 6 PM.
Students will be recognized for their successful
completion of their Middle School years and special
recognition and awards and will be presented.
Upon completion of the Ceremony, students will be
transported by parents to the Middle School to
attend the dance "MUSIC OF THE DECADES."
The
dance ends at 10:00 PM .
The 8th Grade Class
Night Committee is busy preparing for a memorable
evening for 8th grade students to celebrate the end
of their Middle School years, and here are
some ways you can help.
Decorations!!
Help is needed on Thursday, June 19th and
Friday, June 20th to set up and get ready for the
dance at the Middle School. If you can help,
please contact Sherri Tusang at 399-9430 or by
e-mail at
stusang@aol.com. Food Donations are needed
for the dance. If you can help
provide food for the students to enjoy while at the
dance, please contact Judy Bariteau at 882-5338 as
soon as possible Clean up Crew needed.
The more help at the end of the night, the quicker
we can get it done... can you help by
staying at the end of the dance to do clean up?
Please contact Kim Britton at 881-8703 or by e-mail
at at kimmbly@aol.com. Pictures needed for the
Photo Montage!!!
Parents, we need pictures of your child and their
friends.... teammates, classmates, any kind of
group shot, etc. during the middle school years. The
cut-off date for sending in pictures is May 26th, so
start looking for those great shots!
u
Pictures can be brought in and given to the
student's homeroom rep in the form of pictures (name
and homeroom on the back, please, so pictures can be
returned) or a CD with pictures as large files.
u
Pictures can also be e-mailed as large files
to pictures@bhblny.com. If you have any questions
about this process, you can call Don Catharine at
399-3700.
Questions or would you like to help??? Call Kim Britton (884-8703), Deb
Catharine (399-3700), Sherri Tusang (399-9430)?or
Jen Zeissler (399-9633).
O’Rourke’s Summer Enrichment Academy CALLING
ALL STUDENTS
July 7th, 2008- July 24th 2008
Join us at
O'Rourke's Summer Enrichment Academy! There
are so many great programs being offered this
summer. We have some exciting one or two week
programs for those students entering grade 6 through
grade 9. Registration forms and information
regarding the program should have arrived in the
mail (or through school for 5th graders). Additional
forms can be obtained on the web at http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/~mfiaschetti.
This program is a
great opportunity to have fun, meet some new friends
and learn something new!
This year’s courses include:
Organization & Time Management
Becoming the
Better You
Babysitter’s Bag of Tricks
Keyboarding
Test Taking/Study Skills
Guys Read!
Dissect It
Watercolor
Painting
Intro to Latin American Cultures
Cooking with
Math
Art of Sign Language
Film
Critic
Go Green: 3-D Art Pinatas
ALSO,
we are so fortunate to again be offering Dance
Camp taught by NYC instructor, Geoffrey Doig-Marx.
This fabulous opportunity will be open to all
students entering grade 6 through grade 12!!
Seats fill quickly in many of our classes and space
is limited. Register early to ensure your space. The
deadline is June 13th! Don’t miss out.
Register NOW!!!!
Should you have any questions, please contact Marie
DiCristofaro (mdicrsitofaro@bhbl.org) or Melissa
Fiaschetti (mfiaschetti@bhbl.org), coordinators of
the Summer Enrichment Academy.
MORE SUMMER
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES!!
Current 7th Grade Students are
invited to attend a free performance of the
Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing
Arts Center,
made possible through the "SPAC in the Schools"
program. The field trip will take place on
August 22, 2008, leaving the Middle School at 6:45
PM and returning by 11:00 PM. The orchestra
will perform a program entitled, "The Planets
Night."
Current
6th Grade Students
are invited to attend a free performance of the New
York City Ballet at the Saratoga Performing Arts
Center, made
possible through the "Class Action School" program.
The field trip will take place on Thursday, July 24,
2008, leaving the Middle School at 5:45 PM and
returning at 10:45 PM. The ballet performance
is entitled "West Side Story Suite."
If you are interested
in attending, please contact the Middle School main
office for more information.
For a list of
summer camps for middle school students and academic
opportunities for middle school students at
colleges, contact the Guidance Department.
399-9141, ext 4040.
Holocaust Survivor Speaks to Middle School Students
Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a Holocaust survivor, spoke
to all O'Rourke students at three grade-level
assemblies on April 1 and 2; she also had lunch with
75 eighth graders who had special interest in her
presentation. Mrs. Lazan and her family spent 6 1\2
years in refugee and prison camps during World War
II. In her memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles, published
in 1996, she told of her experiences. She has
brought her message of respect, tolerance, courage,
and hope to more than 600,000 students and adults.
We were privileged to have her speak to our students
and staff.
Marion Blumenthal Lazan
THANK
YOU, MONOPOLY VOLUNTEERS !! The 24th
annual Monopoly games were held on Friday,
April 25 and Saturday, April 26, 2008.
The Monopoly game
is a life-sized Monopoly board (44 ft. by 44 ft.)
with students as playing pieces. 23 teams of 6th,
7th, and 8th grade students played one three-hour
session, raising almost $17,000 (before expenses)
for O’Rourke PTA and
Community Human Services.
THANK YOU to everyone that
made this event possible: Thank youstudents who played on a
Monopoly team;
we appreciate your fundraising efforts. Thank you to the parents of these students.
Without your support, this event would not be
possible. Thank you to our community and local
businesses
who were Property Sponsors and Team Sponsors. Thank you to all Team Advisors,
High School Volunteers,
Announcers, Judges, and Committee
Chairs.
In addition, thank you to the numerous
volunteers who worked
at the Monopoly games.
Each game requires approximately 20 volunteers. Your
involvement is important and is sincerely
appreciated. Monopoly is important because your donation directly
assists our community. The money raised will
be divided between the O’Rourke Middle School PTA
and Community Human Services (CHS). Both
organizations serve youth and families in our
community.
Community Human
Services
~Family support services for parents of children
with special needs
~Employment skills training and job matching for
youth
~Parent education
~Support to parents of pre-school children with
behavioral difficulties
~Free transportation (The Wellness Express) to
medical appointments for residents in the towns of
Ballston and Milton and the Village of Ballston Spa
PTA ~Art & Enrichment programs, assemblies at
school and field trips
~School Directory and PTA Newsletter
~Scholarship Program
~Eighth Grade Class Night
~Odyssey of the Mind and Reflections Programs
~High School Prom After-Glow
For Monopoly Game Results,
click here.
For Monopoly Team Fundraising Results,
click here.
MONOPOLY
2008
Please check the website again for the FINAL
fundraising total. It will be posted in the
next two weeks.
NYS Testing
Schedule
Grade 8 Science
Performance Test
-
Monday, April 7th and Tuesday, April 8th Grade 8 Science Written Test
- Tuesday, May 6th Grade 8 Social Studies Test
- Tuesday, June 3rd and Wednesday, June 4th
6th Grade
Orientation Coming up are
some events to help current 5th graders and their
parents prepare for the transition to the Middle
School.
Principal's Tea and tour on
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 9:00 AM
Specifically for parents of Grade 5
students, we will have some
discussion on issues
pertinent to the transition to 6th grade and take a
tour to provide a first hand glimpse of school life
as it exists during the day. Please call the Middle
School Main office (ext. 4000) if you plan to attend
the Tea and Tour.
5th Grade Students visit
the Middle School, meet with staff and
6th
grade teachers, discuss life in the middle and go
on a building tour. Wednesday, May 21 - Stevens Visit
Thursday, May 22, - Charlton Heights Visit
Monday, June 2 - Pashley Visit
Intro to Rec Night - June
6, 7 - 9 PM
5th graders are invited to their first Rec Night at
the Middle School!! You can dance in the
cafeteria, play games in the gym, or card games in
the hallway. Refreshments available for
purchase.
IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION FOR INCOMING 6TH GRADERS
-
NYS Law
requires Varicella (Chicken Pox)
and Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine documentation be
submitted prior to entering
6th Grade Documentation
must be submitted to the school nurse prior to
the first day of the school year. Your child will not be
able to enter 6th grade until documentation
is received. Please see If you have any questions
regarding this, please contact the school
nurse.
- Varicella
Requirements
New York State Education Law
now requires signed proof from a physician
that your child has had the Varicella
(Chicken Pox) vaccine, the Chicken Pox
disease, or blood work showing immunity to
the disease, before a child can enter 6th
grade. If this documentation is not
submitted to the school nurse prior to
the first day of the school, September 3, 2008, your child will not be
able to enter 6th grade until documentation
is received. If you have any questions
regarding this, please contact the school
nurse.
-
Pertussis (Tdap) Requirements
New
York State Public Health Law now requires all
students be immunized for tetanus toxoids,
diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap).The key points regarding requirements of
the law and its implementation are:
R
Students who are entering 6th grade on or after
September 3, 2008 and are 11 years of age must
receive an immunization of Tdap before the first day
of school in order to start 6th grade. If a student
has received a Td, DT or DTaP vaccination within the
last two years, the students Tdap vaccination should
be deferred (with rare exceptions) until a period of
two years has elapsed.
R
There are 2 vaccines available: Adacel for ages
11-65 and Boostrix for ages 10-18 years
RStudents who will be 10 years old
have 2 options: Option 1: vaccinate 10 years olds with
Boostrix or Option 2: wait until student is 11 years of
age and then vaccinate
The
O'Rourke Middle School Drama Club
zOnce
Upon A Mattress
z
Presented
March 14 and 15, 2008
O'Rourke
Middle School student, Craig Maughan takes second
place in the Capital Region Spelling Bee
competition. Craig Maughan, an
eighth grader at O'Rourke Middle School, competes in
the Capital Region Spelling Bee on March 10, 2008.
Congratulations to Craig for his second place
finish!
O’Rourke
Middle School Team Wins Regional Odyssey of the Mind
Competition
Congratulations
to the students who competed in the March 2nd
Odyssey of the Mind tournament held at
Mohanasen Campus. The Division
II team, consisting of Pashley student Michael Read,
and O’Rourke students Sarah Briscoe, Allie Harkins,
Sarah Read, Tiffany Pierce, Erin
Rousseau and Dylan Scacchetti, won first place out of six teams. The
team spent 5 months working on their NASA sponsored
problem, presenting their solution in an 8 minute
skit. They will be heading to the New York
State Tournament at SUNY Binghamton on March 29th.
1st Place Division II Team
Playing
a Sport??
A Health Clearance (Yellow Sheet )is required.
A Health
Clearance Form
(yellow sheet)
is required for students to tryout for any sport.
The Health Clearance form needs to be obtained from
the school nurse within 30 days prior to the
start of the sports season once all needed paperwork
is on file in the nurse's office.
What to Bring to the Nurse In
order to obtain a Yellow Sheet,
students should bring the following to the nurse:
A
copy of their physical with the date of the exam
being within one calendar year of the start of
the sport (or check with the school nurse to see
if the physical on file is current).
Download a copy of the
physical exam form here (pdf format).
A
Sports Health Recertification form (available
from the athletic office, nurse's office) to
be completed by parents ONLY if the physical was
done more than 30 days prior to the first day of
tryouts. The Health Recertification form
updates health information from the date of the
physical to the date of the start of the sports
season. Download the
Sports Health Recertification Form here (pdf
format)
Please contact the school nurse with
questions or concerns. High School: Mrs. Fredericks,
ext. 3102, Middle School: Mrs. Rabideau, ext. 4035.
The Middle
School Honor Society helps area children by their
donation to Toys for Tots. Thanks to all
who helped the Middle School Honor Society raise
$1,600 to buy toys for the Toys for Tots program.
An enthusiastic group of
Honor Society Students gets ready to shop!
The purchased toys
were displayed in the Library before being picked up
by the Marines and sent on their way to brighten the
holidays for many children.
Spreading more Holiday Cheer!
Honor Society Members
and friends went to the Glendale Nursing Home to
sing Christmas Carols to the residents.
Student
Information Update Formswere sent home in the
beginning of August. Did you send yours in?? We
rely on these forms to be sure our student
information is up to date and to give us emergency
contacts in the event that the parents/
guardians cannot be reached. If you did not
return the Student Information Update form, please
do so as soon as possible.
Procedures for getting out of
school early: If it becomes necessary
for a student to leave school early
> Bring a signed note from your
parent/guardian to the attendance office before
morning homeroom period. If you are walking to
a local doctor's office the note must state that you
are walking.
> Leave class at the excused
time and wait in the Main Office. A
parent/guardian must come into the Main Office to
meet and sign out the student. If the student
is not being picked up by a parent/guardian the
signed note from the parent/guardian must state who
is picking up the student or the person must be
designated as an emergency contact on the emergency
information sheet handed in at the beginning of the
school year.
Sharing our Bounty - The Middle School Thanksgiving
Food Drive. Homerooms compete to
bring in the most food for the Student Council
sponsored food drive and area food pantries benefit
by receiving a generous donation in time for the
holidays.
Students from
O'Rourke Middle School bring in bags of canned and
boxed food items to donate to area food pantries
Carrying
donated food items from homeroom to be sorted.
(click on
this logo to learn about or sign up for our School News
Notifier)
Friday, May 2 - SPRING DANCE -
Grade 7 & 8 7-9 PM 
6 PM at the High
School Auditorium
THANK
YOU, MONOPOLY VOLUNTEERS !!
Monopoly is important because your donation directly
assists our community. The money raised will
be divided between the O’Rourke Middle School PTA
and Community Human Services (CHS). Both
organizations serve youth and families in our
community.
discussion on issues
pertinent to the transition to 6th grade and take a
tour to provide a first hand glimpse of school life
as it exists during the day. Please call the Middle
School Main office (ext. 4000) if you plan to attend
the Tea and Tour. 
grade teachers, discuss life in the middle and go
on a building tour. 
Rousseau and Dylan Scacchetti, won first place out of six teams. The
team spent 5 months working on their NASA sponsored
problem, presenting their solution in an 8 minute
skit. They will be heading to the New York
State Tournament at SUNY Binghamton on March 29th.
1st Place Division II Team
Student
Information Update Forms
were sent home in the
beginning of August.
Did you send yours in?? We
rely on these forms to be sure our student
information is up to date and to give us emergency
contacts in the event that the parents/
guardians cannot be reached. If you did not
return the Student Information Update form, please
do so as soon as possible. 
