Weekly Update: October 29th

Team Donations: Our team supply of tissues and hand sanitizer seems to be dwindling, especially as we approach flu season.  If you would like to donate these items, please send them to school with your child.  Thank you to the families who have donated supplies thus far!  We are most appreciative!

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: We continued our research and discussions about the two major Greek city-states Athens and Sparta. On Friday, students mapped Ancient Greece and described how geography impacted the way that Ancient Greeks lived. When students return on Monday, they will take an assessment on early Greek Civilizations with a focus on Athens and Sparta.

Science:  Check out student bone models on our science blog.  Students have come far since their initial models but still need to figure out why the bone cell has the shape that it does.  We'll jump right into the cell this week to figure out what is going on in there.

Literacy: Collaboration at its best!  We spent three days discussing the vocabulary associated with the roots from Unit 4. One word was prospect - as in pan for gold, and another was hyperbole, and another vacuole, a cell part! Perfect timing for English and Science! It was a fantastic week for Literacy, as my room got a huge make-over thanks to a donation from Brady & Sullivan here in Nashua. I have wonderful, gently used tables!  This means that all the tables in my room match, they're clean, and sturdy.  Thanks to Brady & Sullivan for the donation, and even more to our custodian for hauling out all the old tables, and assembling and moving the new furniture in to The Mansion!  Next week?  Latin Unit 4 test on Friday!  

English:  This week, students read an informational text called "Call of the Klondike" and a narrative poem entitled, "The Cremation of Sam McGee."  We discussed primary sources, text structure, personification, and hyperbole.  Next week students will continue working with these texts and their new contextual vocabulary words.  Just a friendly reminder, IRP projects are due on Wednesday, October 31st.  Book orders are also due that day!!  A Christmas Carol is on sale for only $1!  This is our next class text, so students may want to take advantage and buy their own copy!

Math:  Friday we tested on adding and subtracting rational numbers, overall the students did very well!  Grades are in X2.  This week we will be starting our new unit, multiplying and dividing rational numbers.  There will be a quiz on Friday for multiplying and dividing integers.

Weekly Update: October 22nd

Red Ribbon Week is this upcoming week!  This year's theme is "Life is your journey; travel drug free."  Students, please remember to wear RED on Wednesday.

Progress Reports will be sent home on Monday, October 22nd.  Please look out next week!

The Great Spaghetti Race: The race is on!  Our school is having a friendly competition to see who can donate the most spaghetti for our Spaghetti Supper, which will be held on Thursday, November 1st.  Students are encouraged to donate boxes of spaghetti and give them to their advisor during the month of October.  We appreciate your donations!

Conferences:  The first round of parent/teacher conferences will take place on Thursday, October 25th from 4 - 7:30 p.m.  If you have not yet scheduled a conference using SignUp Genius, please contact the main office.

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Students spent this week learning about the first major Ancient Greek civilizations and how they ended. Starting next week, we will begin researching and investigating various topics about the Ancient Greek city-states Athens and Sparta.

Science:  Students will continue their investigations of bones this week.  They have figured out that bones are made of cells and they have three different layers.  Check out one of this week's investigations on our science blog.  Their next questions involve trying to figure out what bone cells are like and how they are different from other types of cells.  Students will have a quiz mid week so their homework is to study their notes.

Literacy: This week, using school Chrome Books, students used Newsela, an online informational text resource, to read about Groundbreaking Women.  Their writing response is due to Google Classroom by Monday evening.  Our team watched Akeelah and the Bee, a wonderful film about a 7th grade student who prepares to compete in the Scripps Spelling Bee.  She learns the importance of learning Latin and Greek roots! The Latin Unit 3 test was Friday, and grades will be posted by Sunday.  

English:  This week we discussed main idea, supporting details, and how to locate the main idea of a text.  Students practiced this skill with the last text we read, entitled "Barrio Boy."  This upcoming week, students will have a quiz on this text.  Using Quizlet as a resource is a great way to study the vocabulary words!

As a side note, students should be nearly finished reading their IRP books.  Although the project is not due until October 31st, students will need to finish the book this week in order to have enough time to finish the plot diagram and book review!  All requirements are listed on the purple handout.

Math:  Students quizzed on adding and subtracting integers on Friday.  Some classes are already in the grade book, the rest will be in on Monday.  Overall the team did a fantastic job, I'm very impressed.  Next week we will be learning how to add and subtract positive and negative fractions and decimals.  If your student is struggling encourage them to use the fractions help on the Google Classroom.  This is another one of those challenging topics!

Weekly Update: Week of October 15th

Badger Team Day:  We kept with tradition, and viewed the documentary film BULLIED, about a  teen who was bullied in school. After watching the film, students collaborated to investigate how kids feel if they are bullied.  In the afternoon, we continued working in Passports, writing academic goals.  Students did a fantastic job!

The Great Spaghetti Race: The race is on!  Our school is having a friendly competition to see who can donate the most spaghetti for our Spaghetti Supper, which will be held on November 1st.  Students are encouraged to donate boxes of spaghetti and give them to their advisor during the month of October.  We appreciate your donations!

Progress Reports will be sent home on Monday, October 22nd.  Please be on the lookout next week!

Class Updates:

Social Studies: Students began our major unit on Classical Civilizations by learning about early Greece and it's geography. We will continue this research throughout this upcoming week as we will learn about two early civilizations and what a "dark age" is.

Science:  This week in science the students are being introduced to a new phenomenon to figure out.  WHY ARE BONES HARD?  Students will begin their investigating by modeling their ideas and looking inside real bones.

Literacy: Students accomplished a great deal in such a short week!  We started the third Latin root unit, and students should be ready to study their flash cards, vocabulary match and be preparing for the test scheduled for Friday!  In the week ahead, we'll use Chrome Books to practice reading nonfiction, informational text online using NEWSELA!  There will be some reading and a little bit of writing!

English:  Students began a new text this week entitled "Barrio Boy," which chronicles a young boy  immigrating to the United States and starting school for the first time.  Students made connections as we read, and some even shared what it was like to move to a new country and begin school for the first time, without knowing anyone.  This upcoming week, students will continue discussing the story, interpret the main idea and supporting details, and define new contextual vocabulary words.  There will be a quiz on "Barrio Boy" on Monday, October 22nd.

As a side note, students should be nearly finished reading their IRP books.  Although the project is not due until October 31st, students will need to finish the book next week in order to have enough time to finish the plot diagram and book review!  All requirements are listed on the purple handout.

Math:  Students spent last week working on becoming faster with integer addition, trying to break away from using the number line, and doing more mental math. Next week we are moving onto integer subtraction.  There will be a quiz on adding and subtracting integers on Thursday, October 18th.  Check the Google Class for videos, extra practice, and Quizlet sets to help study.

Team Update: October 8th

The Great Spaghetti Race: The race is on!  Our school is having a friendly competition to see who can donate the most spaghetti for our Spaghetti Supper, which will be held on November 1st.  Students are encouraged to donate boxes of spaghetti and give them to their advisor during the month of October.  We appreciate your donations!

Columbus Day: There is no school on Monday, October 8th, in observance of Columbus Day.

Class Updates:

Social Studies: After completing our unit on World Religions, this past week we spent reviewing the three types of government and American government. Students will be assessed on this information Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, we will begin our major unit on Classical Civilizations by starting in Ancient Greece!

Science:  This week in science we have been very busy.  Students have completed their investigations and have figured out if the Mystery Matter is alive or not.  Ask them to tell you about it.  Next week we will wrap up our discussions and take an assessment on the science concepts that we have been learning about:  The Characteristics of Living Things.

Literacy: Your students were really challenged this week, with two mastery assessments!  We had some very active discussions surrounding the concepts of sustainable farming and industrial farming.  As important as the information presented, were collaborative note taking , the discussions and the review of notes in class as a study skill.  Next week will be a short week, with Friday dedicated to some team activities focused on Growth Mindset.  Enjoy the long weekend!

English:  This week students began using StudySync on the Chrome Books, focusing mostly on annotating and making inferences.  Students have access to StudySync at home (click here), and they also have the ability to download the StudySync app if they have a smartphone.  I encourage them to log in over the long weekend and work on some of the questions.  On Tuesday, we will complete the last section together, which is the essay.  

Students also visited the library this week and chose their independent reading books for their project, which was assigned Monday and will be due on October 31st.  Students are aware that these projects are meant to be completed at home.  Just a reminder: they should be actively reading each night for 20-30 minutes.

Last but not least, October book orders are now available in class and will be due on Friday, October 12th. As always, thank you for your support!

Math:  It's official!  We have wrapped up our first topic of study. Students should have received their graded tests.  If any student is interested in a retake they need to make an appointment to stay after school for extra help. Last week we learned how to play the Integer Game to kick off our Rational Numbers unit.  Although it looks like a bunch of fun, students are using the game as a tool to aid in developing an understanding of adding positive and negative numbers. Below are some pictures to see how we are learning integers.