Middle School Christmas performance at Savannah Mall
NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
SEMESTER
EXAMINATIONS
Semester exams can be an unpleasant rite of
passage in Middle School. Many of our
students manage the stress of these exams through their own strategies and
tactics. Some students might need a bit
more support. Exams can provoke feelings
of stress, test anxiety, and can also spike issues with a student’s mood and
behavior. Parents can easily intervene
to help provide your son or daughter with positive encouragement and test
preparation support.
Work
on your child’s weakest subject. Spend
time each day helping them understand the concepts they learned in class, work
with the teacher to schedule pre-
school or after-school help or perhaps
organize a “study group” of several of your child’s fellow students to study
together and support each other.
Make
studying rewarding. Integrate
activities throughout study sessions to relieve stress. Schedule some special time with your child
during this time period.
Be
pro-active in their studying. Each
child’s need for parental involvement may be different, but you can always be
pro-active in helping them study. For
example, you can give them pop quizzes based on the study materials. Assist them organizing their studying process
and materials. Help highlight important
parts of notes, give them stick notes to use as placeholders for important
textbook material and help them create and or review teacher provided study
guides. This involvement will build study habits that will benefit your child
for years to come.
EXAM
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 17th
8:30
– 9:45
Grades 6-7-8 Spanish – Ms. Hughes/Mrs. Bender (Dixon)
Thursday, December 18th
8:30
– 10:00
Grades 6-7-8 English Language Arts – Mrs. O’Connor/Mrs.
Hannah
10:30
– 12:00
Grades
6-7 Science – Mrs Blake/Mrs. Reardon
Grade
8 Algebra – Mrs. Reardon
Grade
8 Algebra/Geometry – Mr. Lanfear
Friday, December 19th
8:30
– 10:00
Grades
6-7-8 Social Studies – Mrs. English/Mrs. Hannah
10:30
– 12:00
Grade
6 Math 6 – Mrs. Reardon
Grade
6 Pre Algebra – Mr. Lanfear
Grade
7 Pre Algebra – Mr. Lanfear
Grade
7 Algebra – Mrs. Reardon
Grade
8 Science – Mrs. Blake
EAGLE
OP TIME THIS WEEK
To ensure that students have access to their
teachers to help them prepare for semester exams, each day we will hold a
“Classroom Connect” study hall during Eagle Op Time (10:30 – 11:00). Teachers will be available in their rooms to
work with students and supervised study time with computers available will be
held in Hancock Hall.
SPORTS
PICTURES
This Wednesday basketball team pictures will
be taken between 10:30 and 11:00.
Athletes should make sure to come to school with the appropriate
clothing/uniform.
SAVANNAH
ARTS ADMISSIONS
Details are still not complete for the
school’s admissions process. One VERY
IMPORTANT date that has been released is for the Workshop Session. The workshop session is critical to attend to
receive assistance in preparing a portfolio and preparing for the auditions
required for admissions. This workshop
will be held on Saturday morning, January 17th. UNCONFIRMED TIME is 9:00 – 12:00.
BIG THANK YOU!
The Middle School Team would like to send out
a special thank you to all the parents who have taken time out of their busy
schedules to drive our students around Savannah this semester. Moving a school of 89 students is a major
undertaking. Your contribution made it
possible for our students to attend many extra activities.
6TH GRADE NEWS
6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
This week the sixth graders are wrapping up our study of A
Wrinkle in Time and preparing for semester exams. Students have a
persuasive travel brochure due on Wednesday demonstrating their ability to use
ethos, pathos, and logos in writing. The majority of the work for this
brochure will be done in class. Students will also take a test over A
Wrinkle in Time on Thursday. Successful completion of both of these
assignments will help students to prepare for exams as the concepts covered on
both of these will be featured extensively on the semester exam. The
semester exam will also include material from our previous three units of
literature (nonfiction, Anne Frank, and short stories), in addition to concepts
from our GUM book and one lesson in Wordly Wise. We will spend four days
in class reviewing these concepts in depth. Students who wish to begin studying
on their own at home could practice working on the unit review section in their
GUM books (pages 35-36) and reviewing lesson four of Wordly Wise.
6th Math with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Math 6, we will review for the Chapter 5 test
on Monday and on Tuesday students will take the Chapter 5 test. Wednesday through Tuesday of next week, we
will prepare for exams by looking back at each of the chapters we have covered
and solving the same types of problems that students will see on the exam. I will be out on Thursday and Friday (12/11
& 12/12), so if students have a specific question, it is important that
they come see me anytime morning or afternoon Monday – Wednesday (12/8 – 12/10).
6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will spend a few days learning about rational
numbers (5.1 – 5.2). Then we’ll have a short quiz (the last grade of the
quarter) on Wednesday, and then immediately begin reviewing for exams in
class. Students have been advised to begin reviewing at home now, if they
haven’t begun already. Old tests and quizzes are the best resource for
practicing the types of problems they will see on the exam. The textbook
also has loads of problems, as well as an Extra Practice section in the back
for even more problems. The answers to all the odd numbered questions are
also in the back of the book.
6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Earth Science, we will wrap up Chapter 11 by
discussing how to measure earthquake magnitude as well as intensity and
activity. We will also briefly discuss
tsunamis and earthquake safety. On
Wednesday, we will review for their Chapter 11 test that will take place on
Thursday, December 11. On Friday, we
will begin preparing for exams by taking a look back at the chapters we have covered
since Quarter 1 and will create an outline of what will be covered on the
exam. I will be out on Thursday and
Friday (12/11 & 12/12), so if students have a specific question, it is
important that they come see me anytime morning or afternoon Monday – Wednesday
(12/8 – 12/10).
6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake
The sixth graders will have a busy week as they head into
exams. The students will have their last
chapter test of the semester over earthquakes on Thursday. The classes will receive the exam study guide
at the end of the week. This guide lists
the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam
is to study the old quizzes and tests. Please take a moment to look at this guide. The class will spend some time at the end of
the week going over the best way to break down their study times into
manageable segments. This is especially
important for the sixth graders since they have not had exams before and the
preparation for a cumulative exam is different from that of smaller chapter
tests.
6th Spanish with Ms. Dixon
This week, we’ll begin review for exams. Students will have a
review quiz on Thursday. They can use previous quizzes as study guides. Our
Mid-Term Exam will cover materials from Capítulos 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B. We’ll have
our ‘Mercado’ together on Friday!
6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
We are
finishing our study of the Indus River Valley civilizations today and will
review the chapter on Tuesday. The chapter test will be on Wednesday. We will
correct the test together on Thursday, and then begin reviewing for semester
exams. The exam will cover Early Humans, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and
Ancient India. The students have received their materials from previous
chapters, and should study quizzes, tests, and maps for each chapter. Students
should be able to identify physical features of each area, cities, continental
settlement order, and requirements for communities and survival in
civilization.
7TH GRADE NEWS
7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
We have completed our poetry unit this week, and
will turn in our poem project tomorrow. Wednesday will be spent reviewing the
poems we studied, and Thursday is the poetry unit test. Friday we will correct
the test together, then begin reviewing for semester exams. Last week I
mentioned the aspects students need to study from the short story unit, which
they should continue studying. Students should also begin to review Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry. Students should review the chapter questions we
answered, along with the quizzes and tests from the novel. Students should be
able to identify characters and symbolism in the novel. Vocabulary from the
novel will also be on the exam, and is covered in the quizzes and test the
students have already taken.
6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will spend a few days learning about rational
numbers (5.1 – 5.2). Then we’ll have a short quiz (the last grade of the
quarter) on Wednesday, and then immediately begin reviewing for exams in
class. Students have been advised to begin reviewing at home now, if they
haven’t begun already. Old tests and quizzes are the best resource for
practicing the types of problems they will see on the exam. The textbook
also has loads of problems, as well as an Extra Practice section in the back
for even more problems. The answers to all the odd numbered questions are
also in the back of the book.
7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake
The seventh graders will have a busy week as they gear up
for exams. We have been talking about
Gregor Mendel and the huge impact his work had on our understanding of how
traits are passed from generation to generation. They are now working on different types of
inheritance such as incomplete dominance.
They will have their last quiz before exams on Thursday. Also, the class will receive the exam study
guide at the end of the week. This guide
lists all the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam
is to study the old quizzes and tests. The
classes will spend some time next week going over the best way to break down their
study times into manageable segments.
7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Algebra I, we will review for the Chapter 5
test on Monday and Tuesday and then on Wednesday students will take the Chapter
5 test. Thursday through Tuesday of next
week, we will prepare for exams by looking back at each of the chapters we have
covered and solving the same types of problems that students will see on the
exam. I will be out on Thursday and
Friday (12/11 & 12/12), so if students have a specific question, it is
important that they come see me anytime morning or afternoon Monday – Wednesday
(12/8 – 12/10).
7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
This week in Spanish class the 7th grade will
present their travel projects. Students will also begin to review for exams. We
have covered Chapter 6A-Chapter 8A. The listening portions will be Tuesday,
December 16th and the written exam will be Wednesday, December 17th.
Students should begin reviewing each night by looking over notes and old test
and quizzes.
7th American History with Mrs. English
This week in American history we will wrap up
Chapter 5—Road to the Revolution and have a test on Chapter 5-Sections 1-4 on
Wednesday, December 10th. We will begin exam review on Thursday
and continue reviewing until exams begin on Wednesday December 17th.
Students should begin locating all their semester quizzes and tests in
preparation for exam review.
8TH GRADE NEWS
8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
This week the eighth graders are studying a few short pieces
of fiction and nonfiction in their textbook as we begin to review for semester
exams. Students have a quiz on Thursday over the literature selections
from the textbook. Reviewing the role that tone, mood, theme, and
perspective play in a piece of literature will help students to prepare not
only for this quiz, but also for our semester exam. The semester exam
will also include material from our previous units of literature (outlined on
the syllabus), in addition to parts of speech and lesson three of Wordly
Wise. We will spend four days in class reviewing these concepts in
depth. Students who wish to begin studying on their own at home could
practice working on lesson three in Wordly Wise and reviewing their three
previous unit tests.
8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake
The eighth graders will be busy as they gear up for exams. We will continue talking about physical
properties and the difference between size-dependent and size-independent
properties. There will be a quiz on this
material on Thursday. Also, the class
will receive the exam study guide at the end of the week. This guide lists all the chapters that we
have covered since the first of the year.
The best way to study for the science exam is to study the old quizzes
and tests.
7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Algebra I, we will review for the Chapter 5
test on Monday and Tuesday and then on Wednesday students will take the Chapter
5 test. Thursday through Tuesday of next
week, we will prepare for exams by looking back at each of the chapters we have
covered and solving the same types of problems that students will see on the
exam. I will be out on Thursday and
Friday (12/11 & 12/12), so if students have a specific question, it is
important that they come see me anytime morning or afternoon Monday – Wednesday
(12/8 – 12/10).
8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will take our last test on Monday (as voted on
by the class) covering sections 11.3 – 11.5. We will then begin reviewing
for exams. Students have been advised to begin reviewing at home now, if
they haven’t begun already. Old tests and quizzes are the best resource
for practicing the types of problems they will see on the exam. The
worksheets we have been working on all year are also a great resource.
The textbook also has loads of problems, as well as an Extra Practice section
in the back for even more problems. The answers to all the odd numbered
questions are also in the back of the book.
8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will take our last test on Monday (as voted on
by the class) covering sections 5.1 – 5.3. We will then begin reviewing
for exams. Students have been advised to begin reviewing at home now, if
they haven’t begun already. Old tests and quizzes are the best resource
for practicing the types of problems they will see on the exam. The
textbook also has loads of problems, as well as an Extra Practice section in
the back for even more problems. The answers to all the odd numbered
questions are also in the back of the book.
8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
This week in Spanish class the 8th grade will
take a quiz over the imperfect and preterite tense. Students will also begin to
review for exams. We have covered Chapter 1A-Chapter 4A. The listening portion
will be Tuesday, December 16th and the written exam will be
Wednesday, December 17th. Students should begin reviewing a little
each night by looking over notes and old tests and quizzes.
8th American Government with Mrs. English
This week in American history we will wrap up
Chapter 21—The Great War and have a test on Chapter 21 on Wednesday, December
10th. We will begin exam review on Thursday and continue
reviewing until exams begin on Wednesday December 17th.
Students should begin locating all their semester quizzes and tests in
preparation for exam review.
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