MYP Newsletter 10/24/14

Language and Literature- Mr. Schaefer

6^th Grade- The students have been enjoying watching the 1938 version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. We will finish the movie on Monday. On Friday, October 31^st they will have a Spelling Test on Unit 5 in the Vocab book. We will begin our next novel on Tuesday!

7^th Grade- The students wrote some excellent essays this week on whether we should have jury trials or not. We did not finish To Kill A Mockingbird, so we should finish the week of October 27^th. On Friday, October 31^st they will have a Spelling Test on Unit 5 in the Vocab book. 8^th grade- The 8^th grade is probably sick of studying verbs, but they will have another a week of verbs. On Tuesday we will have a quiz on most of the second half of the verb unit. We will review on Monday. On Friday, October 31^st they will have a Spelling Test on Unit 5 in the Vocab book.

Language and Literature- Mr. Maddock

6th grade Grammar and Writing– We’ll start the week with Plural and Possessive Nouns, which seem harmless enough until quiz time and quiz time will be mid-week. Here’s a tip: Google “Plural and Possessive Nouns Quiz” and take a few of the little interactive quizzes. Or else! The kids should start their second quarter with a strong performance. 7th grade Grammar and Writing– They’ve had an in-class, timed essay, and we’ll return during the week of October 27th to some matters of Grammar and Usage, particularly Verbs. This will not be enough for the 7th graders, who insist on writing gruesome, mayhem-filled tales as they shake off their fears of Halloween. Whatever you do, stay out of their writing journals this week!

Science- Mr. Short

6th Grade: The students are exploring the miniature world of microbiology. Next week we will do a few labs demonstrating osmosis and the importance of water to the living world. 7th Grade: There will be a test next week on Ch 4. The students will learn about DNA next week. 8th Grade: Will finish up ch 7 and will have a test next week.

Language Acquisition- Madame Rooks

Bonne Fin de Semaine!

Language Acquisition- Senora Thompson

6th grade- We are finishing out first Unit this week. Students will have a quiz on numbers 1-1000 on Wednesday. 7th- We have finished Unit 3 and will have a test this week.

8th- We continue to work on Unit 8 and the students have written some medical skits that they will perform this week.

Math- Mrs. Koehler

NOTICE: Remember, Math Lab is on Monday and Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:00 in the Math Room. Please have your student utilize this resource if they need it.

6^th Grade: Well, they made it through the 1^st quarter and received their first middle school report card. This can be a bit traumatic after coming from elementary school. The first quarter is tough for them as there are so many changes to adjust to like lockers, more teachers, note-taking, longer tests……..! I am pleased to see the students are adjusting and making strides in improving study skills. Remember, there are many changes in middle school and sometimes it takes the students a quarter to “catch on.” We are finishing up Chapter 4 next week so there is a Vocabulary Quiz scheduled for Wednesday, 10/29, and a Chapter 4 Test scheduled for Thursday, 10/30. 7^th Grade: Chapter 4 a very important chapter. The students are learning about monomials, factoring monomials, negative exponents, and scientific notation. Some of the material in this chapter is review to prepare them for the new material being introduced. This is where it starts to pick up….less review and more exposure to new mathematical concepts. We ended the week with lesson 2. I am estimating we will be having a Mid-chapter Quiz Wednesday or Thursday next week so be on the look-out! 8^th Grade: Advanced Algebra (HS) – We are working in Chapter 4 on “Using Proportional Reasoning”. We are going to cover 6 lessons in this chapter but only be tested on 5 of them. You will see as we progress through the year, I will skip certain sections. This may be a result of the diocese curriculum guidelines which I follow, the material may be covered in Science, or it is material that will be covered in Algebra 2. Our Glencoe textbook is rather advanced. I may not have a graded quiz on this chapter although we will have practice work. Be on the lookout for a test the end of next week. It is too early in the chapter to give you a specific date and I need to see how the students understand the material. Algebra (HS) – We slowed down the pace and decided to do some more review on Chapter 3. I split the re-test into two parts: Word Problem Test was on Friday, 10/24, and there will be the second part test on Monday, 10/27. Please check with your students and ask if they are prepared for Monday’s test. As we enter into the more difficult material in Algebra, it may be helpful for your student to come to Math Lab if they are not understanding. Another very helpful tool is after a new lesson is introduced, have your student view a youtube on Khan Academy on the topic taught. Should you feel the need for a tutor, please email me and I will share some tutors names/numbers with you.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Koehler MYP Math

Math- Mrs. Schiavo

Sixth Grade Pre-Algebra

And just like that, it’s the end of October and we finished Unit 1, Chapters 1-3. We started Chapter 4 this week studying factors, monomials, and evaluating expressions containing powers and exponents. Our class is fascinated with powers and exponents. They already asked what is X^x. Since this is beyond the scope of our class, I explained to them the “Readers Digest Version.” Oh, how fortunate we are that our students are so inquisitive. The first quiz for the 2nd quarter will be the end of next week.

Individuals in Societies- Mrs. Tuskey

Reminder: 6th grade field trip money for Colonial Williamsburg is due Monday, October 27th. 6th grade US History We ended this week by reading a play as an interactive way to learn about the French and Indian War. I didn’t realize we had so many actors in 6th grade! The students will start the week of 10/27 discussing the end of the war followed by a quiz midweek. After that it is time to start fighting the Revolution! 7th grade US History The students will continue their study of the difficulties the nation faced during Reconstruction. I anticipate a quiz by the end of the week. We will then, “Go west, young man.” I am now using Blendspace as one of my supplemental teaching tools. This website allows teachers to create their own lesson plans using a variety of delivery methods, including short videos and Powerpoint presentations. I just learned about this at our professional development inservice on the 13th and wanted to model the importance of both lifelong learning and the willingness to try new learning approaches for the students. When I explained my goals to the students, they were more than willing to give it a try. I truly appreciate their intellectual risk taking! Blendspace allows students to learn material at their own pace. For instance, if someone already knows about a certain topic that is being presented via Powerpoint, they can move quickly through the material. Students can access Blendspace from any computer or iPad now that they know our class code. As the year progresses, they will start to create their own lessons, thus blending learning, communication, and technology. 8th grade World Civ The students will continue their exploration of the early Indus River Valley civilizations which includes an overview of Hinduism and the caste system. They can expect a quiz by the end of the week. I am now using Blendspace as one of my supplemental teaching tools. This website allows teachers to create their own lesson plans using a variety of delivery methods, including short videos and Powerpoint presentations. I just learned about this at our professional development inservice on the 13th and wanted to model the importance of both lifelong learning and the willingness to try new learning approaches for the students. When I explained my goals to the students, they were more than willing to give it a try. I truly appreciate their intellectual risk taking! The 8th graders caught on to the technology so quickly that they have started to create their own lessons! Those lessons will be presented in class so that we may focus on effective presentation skills. Blendspace allows students to learn material at their own pace. For instance, if someone already knows about a certain topic that is being presented via Powerpoint, they can move quickly through the material. Students can access Blendspace from any computer or iPad now that they know our class code.

Religion- Mrs. Slifka