Team Update: Week of October 30th

Team Update: 

Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held on November 2nd.  There are few openings left if you would like to join us.

Grade Book:  Students should be checking the portal once a week.  We are here after school for retakes or extra help!  It's the student's responsibility to maintain a passing grade.

T-Shirts: Orders are in!  The shirts have been ordered!  Stay tuned!

Class Updates:

Social Studies: This past week was very eventful in Social Studies! Kids were able to take a look at the Greek alphabet and learned how to translate and write their names in Greek. We also incorporated numeracy this week by creating a population graph comparing the civilizations that we've studied thus far. On Friday kids started writing their very own Greek myth and will continue writing these on Monday and Tuesday. Good times ahead!

Science:  In science this week students made observation of four different phenomena to figure out what osmosis is.  Check out some pictures of our work this week on my science blog!  Click HERE to see pictures from science class!  We will have a quiz on Monday.  Students should review cell organelles, the cell membrane, diffusion and osmosis. 

Literacy: Badger students are learning new vocabulary words each week that will make studying for quizzes in Science and Math much easier!  Hydrophilic and hydrophobic as well as vacuole and dialysis just might be on the quiz in science, right Mrs. Tino?  Atlas Obscura presentations begin on Monday, and we will discuss the written reflection, which will be due on Friday.  The reflection is a written response to their own work process on the project.  Be sure to ask your student about it!  A Google doc is preferred.  Have your students told you about the potatoes for fast food French Fries?  Ask them!  We have officially begun to read and study The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan.  The Latin 4 test will be on Monday, November 6th. 

English:  This week in English class we continued with our study of Greek mythology. The students finished up their storyboard projects on Friday. Many students came up with some very creative stories for their gods and goddesses! This week we will wrap up with Greek mythology and do some more practice with grammar. We will be focusing specifically on adjectives this week. The October Independent Reading Project is due on Tuesday! Also, we will be having a test on the Greek mythology vocabulary and characters on Friday. Remember to use flashcards and Quizlet to study!

Math: We have been working with integers all week. If you want a great way to practice play the Integer Game at home. CLICK HERE to see how to play.  Just a reminder the Go Figure is due on Tuesday!  You have had a month to work on the project.  All classes have a quiz on Wednesday, November 1st.  The new Go Figure will go home on Friday.  Next, week we will continue to work with integers, learning how to subtract and using negative fractions and decimals!

Team Update: Week of October 23rd

Team Update: 

Badgers dominated Spirit Week!!!  Check out all our Pajama day participants. 

Class Updates:

Social Studies: This past week we took closer looks at the Ancient Greek city-states Sparta and Athens and did a great job comparing and contrasting the two. On Friday we took a major assessment on Early Greek Civilizations and the kids did an awesome job proving their mastery! This upcoming week we will spend learning about Ancient Greece’s rival: Persia.

Science:  In science this week students took one day to meet with their guidance counselors to participate in a career planning activity.  We continued our investigations this week inside the bone cell.  Students are working hard to figure out how diffusion works in our bodies.  Pictures this week show some initial models students developed to explain how diffusion works in our bodies and some demonstrations that we used to figure out what diffusion is.

Click HERE to see pictures from science class!

Literacy: Students learned how to record the narration for their Google slide shows this week, using a quirky program called Educreations.  Completed projects and notes are due by Monday evening! Plenty of class time was provided, so hopefully everyone is all set!  We watched Akeelah and the Bee Wednesday, a movie that celebrates perseverance, teamwork, honest and studying Latin and Greek roots to learn vocabulary!  Sounds just like Literacy class! The week ended with the Latin unit 3 test.  Next week we will watch student Atlas Obscura projects, and begin the next Latin root unit!  


English:  We began our storyboard project on Greek gods and goddesses this week, and the students are having a lot of fun designing their projects! We also continued to read Greek myths when we weren't working on our projects. We read about Icarus and Daedalus this week, and next week we will read about Demeter, Persephone, and Phaethon. The storyboard project is due at the end of class on October 27th. All students should be working on their independent reading projects! The independent reading projects are due at the start of class on October 31st!

Math: We are finishing up our scale unit with a design project.  Students are designing rooms to a specific scale and putting in the furnishings.  The project is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday.  We have been working on the project for three class periods, so no excuses.  Tuesday we will start our Rational Numbers unit; integers, fractions, and decimals.  This is the most important unit to learn for the rest of your mathematical life!!  Sigma has a quiz Wednesday.

Team Update: Week of October 16th

T-Shirts:  Last call for Badger Team T-Shirt orders!  Checks made payable to Pennichuck Middle School!  Orders to Mrs. Simeone.  

Progress Reports:  Progress Reports go home on Friday, October 20th!  

Class Updates:

Social Studies: Sparta and Athens--these are the two ancient Greek city-states that we'll be focusing in on this upcoming week. We spent the last few days gaining a basic understanding of these two city-states and how despite being Greek they have totally different cultures. We will go much deeper in our research and discussions on Sparta and Athens starting on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend!

Science:  This week in science we have been investigating the question, "What is inside bone cells".  Students have figured out what the organelles in the cells do and how the cell membrane works.  Click on the microscope below to see pictures of one of our investigations!  Next week students will investigate how things can move into and out of the cell.  

Click HERE to see pictures from science class!

Literacy: We have spent this week learning to research using trusted, scholarly search engines and students have been taking notes using the Cornell template for two column notes!  They have learned how to cite their sources to create a bibliography, and on Monday will learn how to narrate their slide shows using a voiceover recording application!  Most students have lots of work to do on their projects to be ready to record their narrations in class.  If technology is cooperative, the due date for the finished project will be posted tomorrow in Google Class.  The mastery test for Latin Root Unit 3 is on Friday this week!  Quizlet time!

English:  This past week in English class we began our journey into Greek mythology. We started with Narcissus and we will continue to read and analyze Greek myths in the coming weeks. We also reviewed some grammar basics and had an assessment on grammar on Friday. This week we will start the Greek god/goddess storyboard project and continue to learn more about Greek myths. This project will be completed entirely in class and allows the students to get creative while learning more about Greek mythology. The students should also be starting their independent reading projects for the month of October. The independent reading projects are due on October 31st!

Math: We just finished up with proportions, your test grades are posted online.   Next we will be learning about scale and doing some scale drawings.  Be ready to design a space to scale!  Make sure you are all working on your Go Figures, they should be about half way done at this point!  If you want me to look over your rough drafts, please have them in this week.  

Team Update: Week of October 9th

T-Shirts: Order forms are available from Mrs. Simeone in Literacy class. It would be wonderful for every student to have a beautiful T-Shirt to show their team spirit!  Having the orders and money turned in by October 13th would be fantastic, as our supplier usually turns around the order within a week!

Yearbook: It's not too early to start thinking about a yearbook. Each yearbook comes with two custom pages for your student to customize as they wish. The cost is $15, with an option to upgrade to a hardcover. To order and customize online CLICK HERE.  Our school's passcode is 1014746590884141

Heavenly Hats: Thanks to all the students who donated a dollar to wear a hat today.  Heavenly Hats is a non-profit organization founded by a 12 year old boy in Wisconsin who wanted to donate hats to kids with cancer. The school raised $150 to help the cause! Above are some Badger students with Mrs. Joseph, the school's Principal, and Mrs. Fitzpatrick, the district's new Assistant Superintendent, rocking hats.

Class Updates:

Social Studies: This was a busy week in Social Studies as we started our unit on Ancient Greece! Students were able to learn the basic geography of Greece and they were able to use our class Chromebooks to research "random" facts about Ancient Greece. Ask your child what they discovered through their research! Next week we will continue our journey through history and investigate two of the oldest civilizations in Greece.

Science:  We spent this week in science class figuring out how cells meet the needs of living things.  Students figured out that the cell has parts called organelles.  Students should use Quizlet (linked on our google classroom page) to practice matching the organelles to their structure and function.  Next week we will investigate the inside of the cell further to answer our questions.  

Literacy: What a week! Students received the results of their second Latin root unit test, and we jumped right into unit 3! Flash cards should be complete, and it's never too early to start to practice with Quizlet!  Next week will be lots of fun, as we'll be in the library beginning a project that will involve research, note taking in a Google template, using a citation add-on, and building a slide show. Students can and should check out Google Classroom this weekend, to get a head start perusing the Atlas Obscura website!  

English: This week in English class the students bounced around between a few different topics. We continued our discussion of figurative language and read Gary Soto's famous poem, Oranges. The students spent the first couple days of the week analyzing this poem, and they had some very interesting things to say! Some students enjoyed the poem, while others claimed it was boring and the worst poem they had ever read. The students also continued their study of grammar basics and began to work with verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. There will be a grammar test coming up next week, but don't fret! There are resources in Google Classroom for extra practice. To end the week, the students were introduced to Greek myths and their October Independent Reading Project. The reading project will be due on October 31st. Next week the students will begin to read some Greek myths and continue to practice their grammar basics.

Math: The first Go Figure has been handed out!  They are not due until October 31st, but due dates are always closer than they appear.  To better manage the project students should have at least the first and second question done this week. There will be a test on Thursday to wrap up our Proportional Reasoning unit and then we are onto scale drawings!  Make sure to check out Google Classroom for extra practice and a practice test.  Make sure to be completing the nightly homework, practice for improvement.

Garden Needs: Badger team is revamping the garden here at Pennichuck.  As you prepare to do your own fall clean up work at your homes, consider making a donation to our team!  We are looking for the following items in good working condition:

• bow rakes 
• metal shovels 
• a wheel barrow
• cultivators and/or hoes (hand or standing)
• trowels

Please no: pitchforks or sickles!

Many hands make light work, so the goal is to have lots of tools to be used by lots of young, energized students!

Stomp Out Bullying Day

On Monday, Badgers participated in the nation wide event, Stomp Out Bullying.  We wanted to devote time to discuss the issue of bullying, as so many students experience it at some point during middle school.  Students were mixed randomly, to help them mingle with those outside of their circle of friends.  Each group of ten students was guided by a professional from our building.  We were thrilled to welcome Ms. Sand, our school's Librarian, Mrs. Dichard, our 7th grade Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Bennett, our school's Social Worker, Mrs. Peasley, our team's Special Educator, Mr. Allen, one of our paraprofessionals, and Mr. Tesini, our Assistant Principal to join the five of us, allowing our groups to be small.

The day kicked off in the cafeteria with a Values Auction.  Students had the opportunity to bid on different values, using straws as currency.  At the end, the students discussed the meaning of the values, and why some kids considered some values more valuable than others!.  Learning that students have different value systems is important, as these are the characteristics which make us unique.

In the next activity, students were presented with different scenarios depicting acts of bullying. They were asked to write suggestions in three areas:  What would you do?  Why would you do that? and How could school help?. The discussions helped kids to see that there are always different ways to handle difficult situations.

Next, we went into the gym for an anti-bullying assembly and team activity before we headed out on the track for the Walk-a-Thon fundraiser.  Most kids walked 10 laps within the hour, with Carlos taking the lead at 17 laps.  Everyone had fun socializing with their peers and getting in some exercise.  The PTO received approximately $4,500 for our students!

After lunch we watched Bullied, a documentary produced for middle level students by Teaching Tolerance, an organization acclaimed for their manner of tackling difficult issues for kids.  We learned the consequences of chronic bullying and how Jamie was able to overcome his middle and high school experiences.  At the end of the day students returned to their  mix-it-up groups to debrief the video.  We talked not only about what happened to Jamie but what is happening here at Pennichuck and offered ideas to help alleviate the problems. 

If you would like to view the video, CLICK HERE, to get a free copy.

Team Update: Week of October 2nd

Open House:  Thank you to all the parents who came to Open House Thursday night! We hope that you found the time spent to have been valuable!

T-Shirts: Order forms are available from Mrs. Simeone in Literacy class. It would be wonderful for every student to have a beautiful T-Shirt to show their team spirit!  Having the orders and money turned in by October 13th would be fantastic, as our supplier usually turns around the order within a week!

Yearbook: It's not too early to start thinking about a yearbook. Each yearbook comes with two custom pages for your student to customize as they wish. The cost is $15, with an option to upgrade to a hardcover. To order and customize online CLICK HERE.  Our school's passcode is 1014746590884141

Stomp Out Bullying: Monday, all students at PMS will participate in the nation wide Stomp Out Bullying Day.  The team has planned a day of activities to go along with the PTO Walk-a-Thon! Students should wear sneakers and athletic clothes as we are going to be moving around and sitting on the floor! Additionally, students do not need to bring their full backpacks, but rather just a string bag with essentials - like a water bottle and a pencil!

Class Updates:

Social Studies: It was a very busy week in Social Studies! We discussed all things related to government. The kids explored many aspects of not only the American government but other governments used globally. We will have an assessment on government this Tuesday. On Wednesday we start our journey throughout Ancient Greece. Good times ahead!

Science:  This week in science class we made more progress towards figuring out the phenomenon: Why are bones hard?  Students investigated their questions and figured out that there are unicellular and multicellular organisms.  They figured out that different types of cells have special shapes to help them do their jobs.  Next week students will investigate the question: What is happening inside the bone cell?

Click here to see PICTURES of the students working this week!

Literacy:  Students were very busy in Literacy class this week, creating a comprehensive study guide for the Unit 2 Latin root test! We hope that students' scores will improve, and they will have learned the value of preparation and study!  

English: This week in English class we had a lot of fun with figurative language. We listened to music, we danced, and we sang along to the songs. We used the popular music to discuss how we hear figurative language every day, even if we don't always realize it. We also wrapped up our unit on plot structure and took a unit test on Friday. Next week we will start looking at Greek myths and begin our Greek god/goddess projects.

Math: This week we will be handing out our first Go Figure!  The Go Figure is the monthly real-world project linking to what we are learning in class. It will be due Tuesday, October 31st!  As for our proportionality unit, we will be starting our last topic and getting ready to test.  Worried?  There is a Study Guide/Practice Test on Google Classroom.  Make sure to be completing the nightly homework, practice for improvement.

Garden Needs: Badger team is revamping the garden here at Pennichuck.  As you prepare to do your own fall clean up work at your homes, consider making a donation to our team!  We are looking for the following items in good working condition:

• bow rakes 
• metal shovels 
• a wheel barrow
• cultivators and/or hoes (hand or standing)
• trowels

Please no: pitchforks or sickles!

Many hands make light work, so the goal is to have lots of tools to be used by lots of young, energized students!