Ask a Scientist! If you would like to ask a scientist a question and get it published in the newspaper, you can do so by completing the submission form attached. A faculty member from Binghamton University will be happy to answer your question. Click here to ask a scientist! *Attention family members! If you have any expertise in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related field or career and would like to share your experiences, please let Mr. Hamlin know! Please email or call to arrange a time to come in and share! We'd love to have you! Thank you!
*Parents--just a reminder that when you see a blank score in school tools, the grade for that assignment has not been recorded yet. If you see a "0" for that assignment, then the assignment is past due and has never been handed in. If you do not have access yet to the Parent Portal, please contact the JFS Guidance Office and they can assist you in getting your account set up.
*We are now starting our next major topic of study, Astronomy! We will be using FOSS (Full Option Science System) along with Starry Night Middle School education software as the anchors for our studies. The FOSS Planetary Science Course focuses on the phenomenon of Earth as an object in space. The driving question for the course is what is my cosmic address? In other words, where are we in relation to other celestial objects, planets, and galaxies? Astronomy is the study of everything we can observe and imagine beyond Earth—the Moon, the Sun, the Solar System, the Milky Way, and the vastness of the cosmos. Astronomers ask fundamental questions: When and where did the universe start? Why is it expanding? What is its destiny? Astronomers endeavor to answer these questions by determining the kinds and numbers of objects in the cosmos, their composition, their motions, and their interactions with one another. Because Earth is part of this ultimate system, the science of astronomy includes the study of our own planet. Astronomers are the pioneers who travel back in time along paths of light reaching out to Earth from stars millions of light-years away. And here we now stand on a small, rocky planet orbiting a typical star, in a typical galaxy, peering into the night sky with a sense of anticipation. There is a growing sense that we are probably not alone. Will we detect life in the universe in our lifetimes? When it does happen, those who share in the discovery will witness the opening of the next chapter in the amazing story of life. Standing on the shoulders of great giants of astronomy, we have "boldly went" where no man has gone before. Space is no longer the last frontier! We are at a point in time where huge technological strides have been made in understanding, healing, and evolving mankind, as we know it. Let's explore.
*Students can access the student portal. Directions are attached. It is encouraged that students become self advocates of their own progress, and regular access to the student portal is a good way to promote independence, responsibility, and self-advocacy.
*We are asking for monetary donations for our JFS Booster Club which will help provide more field trip opportunities for our students. Any amount is appreciated. Forms are attached below. Please make checks payable to: JFS Booster Club if you are able to contribute. Forms can be sent in to Mr. Hamlin or Mrs. Giacche.
*Classroom donations are always welcomed and appreciated. Items such as any recycled or old flash lights, canning jars with lids, old Gatorade bottles, zip lock baggies, paper or dixie cups, shoe boxes, Clorox handy wipes, hand sanitizers, sponges, newspapers, coffee tins, small magnets, USB thumb drives, puzzles or board games, aluminum baking tins, recycled 2-liter plastic bottles, extra pencils, pocket folders, notebooks, candies or any Dollar Store type items that could be used as prizes, and especially Kleenex. Thank you!
*The JFS Science Fair is March 9. See Mr. Hamlin if you are interested! Also, the Southern Tier Science Fair is March 11. Information for both is attached below.