Graduation Photos

Graduation photos will soon be available at www.lifetouchevents.com.  Guests should use the password WALLMIDGRAD2011 to view the images.

Students Prepare a Greeting for Next Year's Students

Wallace Middle School students in the Read 180 class along with students from other classes worked together to create a bright new bulletin board that will welcome students to their classes on the third floor.

Some Spirited People Show Their Colors

Students wore hats as well as shirts in the school's colors of red and black on Spirit Day, which was Thursday, June 6. The range of styles and shapes of hat showed just how spirited our students are. It was a great day.

Selena Soto's Award-Winning Drug Awareness Essay

Selena Main Soto, a sixth gradeer in the accelerated academy, was the second place winner in the sixth-grade category of the Elks Club's drug awareness essay contest earlier this year. (Click here for more about that contest.) Here she shares her essay:

Did you know that in 2008, 23 million people used drugs? Imagine how many use them now. Three examples of drugs that have been used are cigarettes, steroids, and cocaine.


A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. Cigarettes are sold legally but can harm you and even kill you. They cause cancer, straining your heart, blocking blood vessels, heart attacks, strokes diseases, and etc.

Steroids are a type of organic compound that contains a specific arrangement of four cycloslksine rings that are joined together. Anabolic steroids can weaken the immune system. They can also lead to liver damage or cancer, even in younger people. They can permanently stop bones from growing, too.

Cocaine, a powerful addictive drug, is snorted, injected, or smoked. Cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic, but it also increases body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. Users risk heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, abdominal pain, nausea, death, and etc.

Now you know the three of the world’s famous drugs. Which is cocaine, steroids, and cigarettes. Remember, these can kill you or cause serious and permanent injuries or damage to your body and your health.

--Selena Marin Soto

Super Eighth Graders Celebrate Success

On June 7, Wallace's super eighth graders--students who have had no disciplinary referrals and have passed all their academic classes for three years--celebrated their success with family and Wallace faculty during a supper in the school cafeteria. Students from Crosby High School's culinary arts program prepared the very delicious meal.

Thanks to parent liaisn Mrs. Flaherty for the photos.

Wallace Eighth Graders Visit Southern Connecticut State University

Several of Wallace's eighth graders visited Southern Connecticut State University recently to get a taste of college life and the possibilities that await them if they continue working hard in school and staying focused on their goals.

--Thanks to Huckins House guidance councilor Ms. Jordan for this photo.

The Wallace Family Participates in the Greater Waterbury Relay for Life

Students, faculty, staff, members of the PTO, and our faithful parent liaison, Ms. Gretchen Flaherty, participated in the Greater Waterbury Relay for Life in support of the American Cancer Society the weekend of June 3. In addition, Wallace Middle School's cheer leaders, along with Crosby's, cheered on the cancer survivors and care givers, who made the first and second laps around the Crosby track at the opening ceremony on Saturday.

Eighth Graders Visit Holiday Hill

--Thanks to Parent Liaison Gretchen Flaherty for these photos.

PBIS Student of the Month Breakfast Photos

--Thanks to 8th Grade Huckins House Social Studies Teacher Ray Irrera for the photos in the album above.

Students who had been selected students of the month throughout the 2010-2011 school year and their parents participated in a breakfast hosted by the PBIS committee in the Wallace cafeteria on Friday, May 27.  We had a full house of children and adults whose meal was accompanied by Mr. Irerra's slide show honoring Wallace's best kids.  It was  a great hour.

Wallace's Marching Band and Drum Line Perform 'The Star Spangled Banner'--and More

Under the direction of music teacher Louis Pontecorvo, Wallace Middle School's band and drum line performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Memorial Day commemoration at Generali Elementary School earlier this month. Intervention Officer Jackie Davis captured the performance and created this video. Thanks to Mr. Pontecorvo, the band and drum line, and Ms. Davis for this inspiring moment!

Memorial Day Parade, 2011

Under the direction of music teacher Louis Pontecorvo, the Wallace Band and Drum Line participated in Waterbury's Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 29.





Thanks to David Hailstone's mom for the photos.

Yeshion House 8th Graders Complete Bridge Design Competition in Winning Style

Yeshion House 8th graders completed the annual Bridge Design Competition in winning style. Using nothing but toothpicks, white glue, paper clamps, and a lot ingenuity, students designed and constructed some memorable bridges. Science teacher Mrs. Rusnov provided guidance on building codes, materials and construction techniques while math teacher Mrs. Camilleri showed students how to manage a $1.5 million project budget. This year's special guest judges were bridge engineers from the CT Department of Transportation who are currently working on the $23 Million Naugatuck River Bridge. They scored the students' bridges on the overall quality of construction, creativity and originality of their designs. They spoke very highly of the students' work and hopefully inspired some students to enter the engineering profession. Judging will continue and will include strength testing, overall project management, accounting, architectural drawings, adherence to building code and team camaraderie. The top 3 "Best of Show" winners will be announced next week and Mrs. Rusnov and Mrs. Camilleri will host a celebratory picnic for the winning teams.

--Mrs. Rusnov, 8th Grade Yeshion House Science Teacher

Sixth Grader Terrell Patterson: Why I am Proud to be an American

Note:  This is the essay MSAA 6th grader Terrell Patterson wrote for the Elks Club essay contest earlier this year (see previous post here).  Thank you, Terrell, for sharing your work with us and for being a credit to Wallace Middle School.

 I am proud to be an American because there is a working government, soldiers who would give their lives for their country, and citizens have fair rights.

America has a very successful government.  They maintain freedom, democracy, school systems, laws, and try to keep peace with other countries.  Freedom is being able to be free to do what you want to do, while still obeying the law.  America is a democracy, which means that citizens over the age of eighteen can vote for who runs the government.  in America, the government requires that everyone under the age of sixteen must attend school.  This is why America is one of the smartest countries in the world.  America has written laws, which is why they are followed.  If these laws were not written nobody would follow them because there would be no evidence of their existence.  Also, America is always trying to keep peace with other countries

America has many had working citizens who wake up early in the morning to go to work so they can provide for their families.  Also, there are many soldiers who would give their life for America.  That is why they are honored with Veteran's Day.

I am also proud to be an American because there are equal rights.  Women and men are treated equally as we white and African American people.

Now you know why I am proud to be an American and live in the amazing country of America.

--Terrell Patterson, MSAA 6th Grade Student in the Yeshion House