Friday, November 18, 2016

Fusion Communication: November 18

Hi all,
Whew - we made it! Everyone is ready for some time off. Trimester 1 closed today so the students start fresh after the break.  The 7th Grade has a field trip on Friday, December 2 - looking for 8 chaperones (more would be great).

No laptops should be home over the break
As is tradition, laptops should remain at school over the holiday break.  Should your child have brought the laptop home, please drop it off at school on Monday or Tuesday or next week.

Movember
A wild success - the beards were full, the boxes for food were fuller, and many a laugh could be heard during the parade Thursday morning. Mr. Pless won the costume contest but Mr. Keblin cleaned up the competition with 112 food items that propelled him to a first place finish - Tom Keblin is the overall 2017 Movember Champion!

Grade 7 Field Trip December 2
The 7th grade will attend the Vermont International Festival.  Students will leave school around 11am and return to school by 1:50ish.  This a great mid-day field trip to chaperone - self contained, of short duration and interesting.  Please let Mr. Pless know if you would like to chaperone.

The trip does not require a fee.

High Interest Reading Material
Thank you - we have received multiple copies - please send more!

Calendar
November 21-25 - Holiday Break (staff development Nov. 21-22)
December 2 - 7th Grade to Vermont International Festival, 11:30am-1:30pm (Going for Certain! Looking for Chaperones!)
December 14 - Two Hour Delay
December 23-January 1, 2017 - Holiday Break

Academic Area Update

LA:
8th: When we return from break students will continue to examine dystopian books and short stories. This work will prepare us for the next writing unit (argument) when we will work together to construct literary essays.

7th: When we return from break students will begin a reading unit geared towards developing research skills. This will feed nicely into our next writing unit (argument) during which, students will be writing research based essays.

Math:
Algebra: This week we focused on solving  Multi-Step Equations as well as solving equations using the Distributive Property. We will continue with this equations unit when we return from break with Literal Equations.

8th CMP: We wrapped up the first part of the Thinking with Mathematical Models unit with a summative assessment on Wednesday. When we return from break we will begin the statistics portion of the unit looking at correlations and bivariate data.

7th: This week we wrapped up the addition and subtraction portion of unit and moved on to multiplication of rational numbers. When we return from break, we will continue with multiplication and division.

Science
7th:   Students worked very hard this week, finishing their cell models and preparing for the District final assessment for this unit!  The models coming in are high caliber! We move on to our Genetics and Heredity unit after the break.

8th:  Students continued to explore examples of elastic potential energy.  After break, our focus will be on acceleration and free fall.

SS
The major district assessments were completed this week.  Week after break, if any students need retakes, they will have that option.

7th Grade: After the break, students will investigate the role of cuisine in traditional national diets, while looking at how globalization is changing these traditional foods.  Also, the students will explore belief systems through an investigation of symbols in the world’s major religions.


8th Grade: Social Studies will become film studies as the 8th graders explore the American identity through five films: three Schoolhouse Rocks shorts (“No More Kings”, “Shot Heard Round the World” and “Fireworks”), April Morning, Johnny Tremain and The Crossing. Direct instruction will focus on the first years of the war, the Declaration of Independence and the role of slavery during the conflict.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Fusion Team Communication: November 11

Hi all,
Wow - 11 weeks of school with one more to go.  Team is finishing up assessments by Thursday so a great time to check in with your child.  Please note - Friday, November 18, will be more of a “fun” day.

7th Grade Laptops home this weekend
Given the upcoming district assessments and assignments in science and social studies, 7th grade students are allowed to bring their laptops home for the weekend (if they already have a computer at home, students were encouraged to leave the laptop at school).  Please have your child use the laptop for school projects only.

Movember
For the fifth year in a row, Browns River Middle School staff are participating in the Movember competition. This year there are couple of new twists; instead of collecting money, participants will be collecting food items for the Jericho and Underhill Food Shelf, and the focus is going to be more on everyone's health during this busy time of the year. Mr. Keblin and Mr. Pless are both participating (but really Team Fusion is raising food items for Mr. Keblin). Please ask your child to talk a little bit more of what they know about Movember and the Traditions that Browns River has with this movement. A big influx of food occurred Friday morning - thank you!

High Interest Reading Material
Thank you - we have received multiple copies - please send more!

Calendar
November 17:
  • Movember Parade - last day for food items to count towards Movember Contest
  • Students submit laptops (no laptops over the break)
November 21-25 - Holiday Break (staff development Nov. 21-22)
December 2 - 7th Grade to Vermont International Festival (Tentative)
December 14 - Two Hour Delay
December 23-January 1, 2017 - Holiday Break

Academic Area Update

LA:
Students in both grades have now completed the process piece (done over time, in class) and on demand assessment (competed in 2 hours, at school) for writing. As I work my way through these assessments, I will be in touch if something glaring comes up. Specific comments on student work will be on the report card.

Students who have questions or seek clarification regarding their process pieces (Investigative Journalism for 8th, Realistic Fiction for 7th) should check in with me once they have received their scores.

This weekend is a great time to sit down with your student to look at schoology. I will be accepting late/ incomplete work until Friday 11/18.

8th
We began looking at themes in short stories this week. We did some work together with the short story “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. This work will prepare students to analyze theme in longer texts when we begin the reading unit on Dystopian and Fantasy Literature to be launched after the break. Our analysis of themes in literature also dovetails nicely into our next writing unit: Literary Essays.

7th
Next week we will wrap up our work with the novel Tuck Everlasting. Students have been completing comprehension tasks along the way to support our discussions on symbolism and differing perspectives within the story. As a reward for their efforts, we will be watching Disney’s film adaptation of the book at the end of next week. Looking forward, students will be reading a variety of texts on the subject of competitive sports when we return from the break. This reading unit will allow students to sharpen their research skills in preparation for the next writing unit: Research Based Essays.


Math:
Algebra: This week we have been working on solving basic equations, starting with one-step equations and moving through two-step equations into multi-step equations. Next week we will be doing work with more complex multi-step equations and moving into literal equations.

8th CMP: We have wrapped up the major portion of the unit and will be having a unit test next week. We have begun reviewing and will continue to review through Tuesday.

7th: We are well into our unit on integers and have explored adding and subtracting negative and positive values developing rules for what expressions with addition and subtraction will result in a negative, positive, or 0 value.

Science
7th:  Early in the week, we reviewed the key similarities and differences between plant and animal cells.  Then, we investigated how water flows through plants by explaining the loss of water from vials filled with stalks of celery, and by examining how dye traveled up the celery stalks to the leaves through xylem and veins.  We began to study photosynthesis, and will continue with this next week.  

Students will be working on creating models of animal and plant cells over the next few days.  This is a homework assignment.  Your child may need assistance finding random materials around the house to represent cell organelles.  It is not necessary to purchase any materials for this project; we viewed several examples in class that are made from paper, cardboard, felt, etc.  I have a box of craft supplies I can offer to students who are needing support finding things.  Please be aware that the district assessment will take place next Thursday.  Please send me an email if your child plans to be absent toward the end of next week.

8th:  Students continued to review and analyze examples of potential and kinetic energy.  They also conducted an investigation relating the shape of a ski slope to skier speed, using pipe insulation and a marble. know so far about motion, speed, and energy.  We revisited the claims-evidence-reasoning format for writing about our learning during investigations.  Lastly, students completed a quiz reviewing vocabulary, formulas, and concepts related to motion, potential energy, and kinetic energy.

SS
Obviously, the election was a big focus this week.  All students had a lesson about the Electoral College (which came in handy) and took time to review the election results.

List of final assessments this coming week:
  • Social Studies 7
    • District assessment for “What is Culture?” - due November 17
  • Social Studies 8
    • Ongoing district assessment for “Causes of the American Revolution” - finished by November 17


Thanks and enjoy the weekend,
Team Fusion

Friday, November 4, 2016

Fusion Team Communication: November 4

Hi all,
Who thought it was a good idea to have Halloween on a Monday?  Team Fusion survived.  Obviously, there are some big things coming again for next week.  Check out below what else is happening for students on Fusion.

Progress Report Emails
Some families have/will be receiving progress updates from teachers.  This method is a new way to communicate “progress report” information; if your family does not receive one, the team is seeing your child meeting standard.

Many assessments right now…
Please check in with your child about what is happening… and also check out the curriculum updates below.

Movember
For the fifth year in a row, Browns River Middle School staff are participating in the Movember competition. This year there are couple of new twists; instead of collecting money, participants will be collecting food items for the Jericho and Underhill Food Shelf, and the focus is going to be more on everyone's health during this busy time of the year. Mr. Keblin and Mr. Pless are both participating (but really Team Fusion is raising food items for Mr. Keblin). Please ask your child to talk a little bit more of what they know about Movember and the Traditions that Browns River has with this movement.

High Interest Reading Material
Thank you - we have received multiple copies - please send more!

Calendar
November 6 - Daylight Savings ends; set clocks back one hour.
November 9 - Two Hour Delay
November 21-25 - Holiday Break (staff development Nov. 21-22)
December 2 - 7th Grade to Vermont International Festival (Tentative)
December 14 - Two Hour Delay
December 23-January 1, 2017 - Holiday Break

Academic Area Update
LA:
7th: We are still working our way through the novel, Tuck Everlasting. Students are completing response to text tasks in class. Reading logs will resume in December.

8th: Next week we will be moving into a reading unit. Students will read and analyse several dystopian short stories before we dig into books together. Reading logs will be put on hold until further notice as we examine and respond to texts together in class.

Math:
Algebra: We just wrapped up Unit 1A, Simplifying Expressions, with an end of unit assessment this week. We will beginning a unit on solving equations. This will involve solving linear equations, literal equations, and some simple exponential equations.
8th CMP: We are wrapping up the first portion of our unit, Thinking with Mathematical Models. We will being doing some review work this coming week in order to prepare for a unit assessment towards the end of the week. From here we will be moving on to the statistics portion of the unit, looking at correlation and bivariate data.
7th: We wrapped up the first section in this unit introducing two different models for working with integers. Students developed basic increase or decrease rules for addition and subtraction of integers and modeling this on number lines and using positive and negative chips.

Science
7th:  We finished observing our bacteria agar plate and bread mold cultures, and determined which areas of the classroom serve as the greatest, and least, sources of microorganisms!  We also learned about how humans benefit by using certain bacteria and fungi in making common foods, such as yoghurt and gorgonzola cheese.  Students completed a short quiz on cell organelle vocabulary, and will explore the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration next week.  The district assessment will take place right before the Thanksgiving break.  Please send me an email if your child plans to be absent toward the end of that week.
8th:  We started the week off with a comparison of potential and kinetic energy, then applied these concepts to labs using rubber band shooters and roller coaster simulators!  We’ll have a quiz next week, reviewing what we know so far about motion, speed, and energy.

SS
7th:  A focus for the week was on the upcoming election.  Students selected issues important to them and then developed lists of sources they could use to discuss this issues.  Towards the end of the week, the focus was on one issue - gun policy - and the students used class discussions and online programs to discuss the issues important to them.

In addition, Students have started the final assessment.  Please check in with your child about which project they are completing for the assessment:
*The assessment is due on November 17 - two weeks away. Let Mr. Pless know if your family is leaving early for the Thanksgiving Holiday break.


8th: Students spent time exploring the last issues important to them with the election. Also, they are starting the assessment with the causes of the American Revolution - it’s called Revolutionary Facebook.