Sgt. Dominick Pilla Middle School

Miss Welden and Ms. Franco’s ELA students have been studying the concept of sustainable living. Recently, they completed the Hunger Games PBL where they researched NJ crops and how to farm them organically and conventionally. Students collaborated in small groups to write a grant proposal and formulate a presentation to ask for $100,000 to start a sustainable farm in Vineland.

Students and staff are invited to wear Eagles gear (or their favorite team) tomorrow with jeans in anticipation of an Eagles win this Sunday! Jeans cannot have rips or frays and NO pajama bottoms. 🏈💚🦅

Principal for a Day Do you want to have the chance to be the Principal of Pilla Middle School? WELL...NOW YOU CAN! Safety Patrol is hosting a fundraiser that gives 1 lucky person PER GRADE LEVEL the chance to become Principal for a day! Check out the flyer below for more details.

Candy Gram Sale Signed, Sealed, and Delivered! Pilla Safety Patrol spread Holiday Cheer by handing out Candy Grams! Thank you all who helped make this fundraiser successful.

Mrs. Romalino's 7th grade ELA classes extended their knowledge on nutrition by studying food labels. Students logged nutrition label information; measured actual serving sizes to analyze true portion sizes; and made calculations to convert grams of sugar to teaspoons. Students measured the sugar content of several breakfast, lunch and dinner foods and some popular beverages. Finally, students used writing skills to report their findings. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Al_HMLBlhj4Iyiq4WiezULoFEa95kdMh/view?usp=sharing

Mrs. Romalino's 7th grade ELA classes used authentic Philadelphia Mummers costumes to practice persuasive strategies. Students suited up, then wrote sales pitches for the elaborate costumes using six persuasive strategies. They examined the detail of the costumes and anticipated new uses for the outfits in their sales pitches. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15vtoQrhz5seHOAaUJYmRv-yVVyGIjFhz/view?usp=sharing

Please enjoy some pictures from our Middle School Girls Basketball's defeat of Bridgeton on Tuesday, January 14.

In Mr. Kavanagh’s and Mrs. Harold's 7th and 8th grade science class the students are learning about diffusion. They did a science experiment with skittles, water and sugar and observed “Diffusion In Action”.

Please join us via Google Meet on Thursday evening at 7pm for our January PTO meeting! Get involved, help your child's school and have your voice heard. https://meet.google.com/wxs-jwnp-vtr

Mrs. Marolda-Panichelli's 8th grade ELA class is researching a project on pitching a grant for a sustainable farm. Mr Richard Marolda Jr. of Marolda Farms, Inc. and Rock and Roll Organics came in as a guest speaker to answer questions that the students formulated beforehand on supporting environmental sustainability through organic farming.

Pilla's Panther Period Drama class, run by Mr. Thomas, has been busy at work! Please enjoy this Youtube presentation... 2024 Pilla Drama proudly presents.... Duo's Revenge! https://youtu.be/knaL4sctcqw?si=WvN6nd72y8IhyfbA

Registration is now open for summer care with Champions. Please see the flyer below for more info.

We apologize, please try the below link to view our newsletter https://www.canva.com/design/DAGZFhyQS30/7Y0UdgXQB326HahsTE37Kg/view?utm_content=DAGZFhyQS30&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h3d9f6e795c

Please view our January/February Newsletter here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGZFhyQS30/7Y0UdgXQB326HahsTE37Kg/view?utm_content=DAGZFhyQS30&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h3d9f6e795c

At Pilla Middle School, our Panther Periods provide students with unique opportunities to explore new skills, and the Robotics class is no exception! This exciting program is all about creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. During Robotics, students started by building robots from Legos, combining engineering and imagination to bring their creations to life. But that was just the beginning! Using coding skills, they programmed their robots to perform a variety of actions—moving, driving, spinning, and even making fun sounds when they detected different colors. The challenge didn’t stop there. Students took on an even more complex task: designing their own maze. Once their maze was complete, they had to code a Sphero ball to navigate it successfully. This required them to calculate precise speeds, angles, and distances in millimeters. It was an incredible way to integrate math, logic, and technology into a hands-on project. Through Robotics, students are learning much more than just coding and building—they're developing problem-solving skills, practicing teamwork, and discovering the exciting possibilities of STEM. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KoCU5JgxU7royihP9BUzfadFt7yi4zxm/view?usp=sharing

Physical’s for Spring Middle School Boys/Girls Track and Field MUST be turned into the school nurse NO LATER than February 21st. Physical packets can be printed from the Vineland Athletics Department website or picked up from the nurse or main office. https://www.vineland.org/o/vps/page/athletics

Students in Ms. Super's ELA classes have been reading nonfiction articles with the focus being on taking control of their health. They learned about healthy alternatives for foods and used verified websites to do research on. They took their knowledge and became entrepreneurs by working together to open up healthy restaurants. They focused on less oils, food dyes, and additives and added lots of nutritious options. They presented their themed restaurants to "investors" complete with props and commercial jingles, and eagerly awaited to hear their classmates' reviews and star ratings. Super work- five stars! 💙💛

Happy Holidays from everyone at Pilla School!

Members of the Pilla NJHS partnered with the Animal Clinic of Millville to collect donations for the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter as their December service project. The students presented the items to Melissa Doyle, Fundraising and Social Media Manager for SJRAS. We are Pilla Proud of our NJHS and everyone who donated!

Please have your student join in the joy next week as we hold a Holiday Spirit Week! Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have different themes. Thursday, only students who purchased a holiday shirt through the gym department can participate. Friday, any student who brings in $3 can wear pajamas (see flyers for rules). We hope it's a fun week before break!