November 16-20

The Middle School Fall Ball was a huge success! 

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Guggenheim

We will begin our unit on short stories next week. We have been preparing by reviewing the elements of a story. We will discuss characterization. There is a vocabulary quiz over List 6 on Tuesday. We are looking forward to finishing West Side Story on Friday. It’s been a great way to broaden our study of The Outsiders.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Mrs. Reardon is out of town and will have her assignments posted by Monday.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete the first half of Chapter 4 by learning about finding the Least Common Multiple (4.4).  There will be a test on sections 4.1 - 4.4 at the end of the week.  I will not be here Wednesday through Friday as I am going to a conference in Nashville hosted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Mrs. Reardon is out of town and will have her assignments posted by Monday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Huennekens

The students finished up Chapter 7 on Friday. For the week of November 16th, we will begin Chapter 10 Plate Tectonics. There are no scheduled quizzes or tests this week.

6th Spanish with Ms. Sotomayor

We have been learning how to tell time, how to use the verbs SER and ESTAR (to be) appropriately, and learning new vocabulary such as nationalities and occupations. A test is scheduled for this coming Thursday, November 19th. However, this test is a bit different! For more information, be sure to check out Google Classroom.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We are almost finished with our study of Ancient Egypt! Students will have a quiz over the Middle and New Kingdoms on Tuesday 17 November and  review the chapter Wednesday. We will take the Egypt unit test on Thursday 19 November. Please check the ‘About’ section of Google Classroom for resources related to the chapter, which will aid your student in studying for the quiz and test.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We have finished reading our first novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. We will take the novel test on Tuesday 17 November. The students have been identifying elements of symbolism throughout the novel, and the symbolism packet will be due on Tuesday. Please check the ‘About’ section of Google Classroom for resources related to the chapter, which will aid your student in studying for the quiz and test.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Mrs. Reardon is out of town and will have her assignments posted by Monday.

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete the first half of Chapter 4 by learning about finding the Least Common Multiple (4.4).  There will be a test on sections 4.1 - 4.4 at the end of the week.  I will not be here Wednesday through Friday as I am going to a conference in Nashville hosted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Huennekens

We are finishing up Chapter 4 with our chapter test on Thursday, November 19th.  The students have a note taking sheet, practice packet and chapter review that we have gone over in class with all the correct answers that would be most beneficial for use in studying.  I have encouraged them daily for the last week to study nightly for about 20-30 minutes.  

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7th grade will complete Chapter 6B and the chapter test will be Tuesday, November 24th. Students will also have an opportunity to play and evaluate the board games that they created for their trimester projects. At the end of the week, students will have a reading comprehension and speaking activity about “Día de Acción de Gracias”.

7th American History Part I with Mrs. English

This week in American History and Gov’t Part I we will continue our study of the French and Indian War and the events that led to the Revolutionary War.  Readings and homework will come from Chapter 5.1 & 2. We will have a quiz on the events leading to the Revolutionary War on Monday November 23rd.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor/Ms. Churchill

We will continue our study of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, supporting our experience with comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, and themed projects.  To aid students in planning and pacing, they  have received a ‘Hounds Calendar’ containing due dates for reading, assignments, and assessments.    

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Mrs. Reardon is out of town and will have her assignments posted by Monday.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish the first half of Chapter 11 and have several days of review.  There will be a test on Thursday covering sections 11.1 - 11.2, which is graphing square root functions, simplifying radical expressions, and rationalizing the denominator,

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue our exploration of triangles in by learning about perpendicular bisectors (5.2) and angle bisectors of triangles (5.3).  There will be a quiz at the end of the week covering sections 5.1 - 5.3.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Huennekens

There is a quiz on sections 1 & 2 on Monday and then on Thursday, November 19th, the students will take the Chapter 5 test.  This particular chapter is a repeat of Matter that stresses the difference in physical and chemical properties and changes. We have discussed the pH scale and acids and bases. The students have a note taking sheet, practice problems in a handout form and also the chapter review that they should use to prepare for the test. Our next chapter will begin after the Thanksgiving break.  We will start with Chapter 6: Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonds.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8th grade will complete Chapter 3B and the chapter test will be Tuesday, November 24th.  Students will also have an opportunity to play and evaluate the board games that they created for their trimester projects.  At the end of the week, students will have a reading comprehension and speaking activity about “Día de Acción de Gracias”.

8th American History Part II with Mrs. English

This week in American history we will continue our study of Jacob Riis and the end of the Gilded Age. We will begin looking at the Progressive Era and the positive changes that happened for all Americans.  Students need to turn in their Gilded Age Crossword Puzzle and Jacob Riis “How the Other Half Lives” assignments on Monday, November 16th. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 19. 1 & 2.  Looking ahead, we will have Quest Monday November 23rd (Monday before Thanksgiving).  

November 9-13

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Guggenheim

Next week we will be reviewing topics in grammar: parts of speech, clauses, and subjects/predicates. There will be a quiz on Friday, November 13th. On Tuesday, we will begin Greek/Latin vocabulary List 6. The quiz will be on Tuesday, November 17th. The students have received their new reading logs for 2nd trimester. Remember, 30 minutes a week of outside reading will ensure your child meets their goal.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week we will jump into Chapter 4 learning about prime factorization and greatest common factor.  On Wednesday, we will play a review game in preparation for a quiz over the first 2 sections.  That quiz will take place on Thursday, November 12.  Friday, students will create prime factorization trees in class.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 4 and learn about finding the greatest common factor of monomials (4.2) and learn about simplifying fractions that contain variables and exponents (4.3).  There will be a Math Facts Quiz on Tuesday and a quiz covering sections 4.1 - 4.3 on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth science we will continue in Chapter 7 by taking a closer look at the composition and nature of soil.  We will also evaluate ways that human activity has affected Earth’s soil and describe ways to reduce soil erosion.  On Wednesday, students will brainstorm a way to prevent soil erosion and share their ideas with the class.  Thursday, we will review for the Chapter 7 test that will take place on Friday, November 13.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Huennekens

Next week in Earth science, we will continue in Chapter 7 by studying soil erosion.   Thursday, we will review for the Chapter 7 test that will take place on Friday, November 13th.

6th Spanish with Ms. Sotomayor

The students worked hard to create a script in Spanish for the assessment  I saw some stellar performances and enjoyed seeing the students work well together to bring the best of their costumes, creative props, and Spanish skills to the front of the class. We have already begun a new lesson for the new trimester. We are reviewing how to tell time. The students know that next week they will be quizzed on this. Next week we will also begin to learn how to differentiate between the verbs Ser and Estar.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

Your student spent last week conducting very impressive research to create an informational booklet about an aspect of Egyptian culture! This week, we will return to our study of the Egyptian civilization. We will study the Middle and New kingdoms, and create a map that identifies all three dynastic periods. We will also identify influential Egyptian pharaohs and categorize social classes. Next week (16-20 November), your student should expect to take a quiz over the Middle and New Kingdoms, a review of the chapter, then a test over Ancient Egypt to follow.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

Congratulations to the seventh grade for completing the 6 hour required trimester reading! Each student met or exceeded that goal! The students have received their new reading logs for 2nd trimester. Remember, 30 minutes a week of outside reading will ensure your child meets their goal of six hours for the trimester. Next week, we are finishing our novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. The newspaper article, editorial article, and entertainment piece the students have worked diligently to create to accompany the novel is due Monday 9 November. We will have a quiz over chapters 9-12 on Friday 13 November, and the novel test is Tuesday 17 November.  I will be in my room daily at 7:45 for extra help or questions.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week will wrap up Chapter 4 by graphing linear functions.  We will take 2 days to review the material from Chapter 4 since it was so content rich.  Students will take their Chapter 4 test on Thursday, November 12.  On Friday, students will do a graphing lab with the graphing calculators.

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 4 and learn about finding the greatest common factor of monomials (4.2) and learn about simplifying fractions that contain variables and exponents (4.3).  There will be a Math Facts Quiz on Tuesday and a quiz covering sections 4.1 - 4.3 on Friday.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Huennekens

We are continuing on with Chapter 4!  This week we are studying Meiosis and mutations.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

The 7th grade did a wonderful job working on their summative assessments. I am very pleased with their final products! Next week in Spanish class, students will continue to work with affirmative tú commands and the present progressive tense. The grammar quiz will be Wednesday, November 11th.

7th American History Part I with Mrs. English

This week in American History Part I we will finish our study of the Salem Witch Trials and continue studying slavery in the colonies.  Readings and notes will come from Chapter 4.3. Students will have a quiz on Chapter 4.1-3 on Thursday, November 12th.

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor/Ms. Churchill

A new beginning for the Second Trimester:  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles.  In addition to our reading of the text, we will explore some background information on Sir Arthur, encounter some new vocabulary, and examine all things ‘Sherlock Holmes’!

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week will wrap up Chapter 4 by graphing linear functions.  We will take 2 days to review the material from Chapter 4 since it was so content rich.  Students will take their Chapter 4 test on Thursday, November 12.  On Friday, students will do a graphing lab with the graphing calculators.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 11 by practicing more simplifying radical expressions.  We will also begin learning how to rationalize the denominator when there is a square root in the denominator of a fraction.  These are all from section 11.2.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review Chapter 4 on Monday and then have the Chapter 4 Test afterwards.  We will then begin Chapter 5, which continues our exploration of triangles.  The chapter starts with the Midsegment Theorem (5.1).

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Huennekens

We begin Chapter 5 on Matter - Properties and Changes this week.  Students will have a quiz on Friday, November 13th.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

The 8th grade did a wonderful job on their summative assessments. I am very pleased with their final products! Next week in Spanish class, students will continue to work with irregular affirmative tú commands and the irregular present participles. The grammar quiz will be Wednesday, November 11th.

8th American History Part II with Mrs. English

This week in American History Part II we will continue our study of industrialism and urbanization in America.  Readings and homework will come from Chapter 18.3. Students will have a quiz on Chapter 18.2-3 on Thursday, November 12th.