Hi all,
Whew - one more week. A couple of assessments are happening this coming week - please check in with the team if your child is leaving before Thursday for vacation.
8th Grade Only: Career Unit
It was a great success! Thank you to all families that attended and to those of you who hosted a job shadow.
Great Escape Letter
Please see the attached permission form for the 8th grade end-of-year field trip to the Great Escape! Hardcopies were sent home with students today. The date for this field trip is Friday, June 16th. If you already know that your child will not be able to attend this field trip, please let me know as soon as possible. (lisa.windhausen@cesuvt.org) Otherwise, the permission forms are due Friday, May 26th. The fee for this field trip is $65, which includes transportation, park fee, and lunch; please note, however, there are multiple payment options listed on the permission form.
Reminder from Nurse’s Office:
Please know that if your child texts, emails or calls you from school due to illness or injury, it should be from the Health Office. The protocol is that if a child is not feeling well or is injured, he/she is sent to the Health Office. We, with your student, will decide if a call home to a parent/guardian is warranted. Please ask your student if she/he has been to see the nurse first if there is a request to be picked up. Thank-you for your help on this important matter.
Calendar
April 21 - Student Faculty Basketball game (1:45pm in gym)
April 24 - 28: April Break - no school
May 10 (change for earlier emails) - Delayed Start (last one of the year)
June 16 - Grade 8: Great Escape Trip
- Grade 7: Field Trip to Sandbar State Park (rain or shine:)
June 19 - Tentative date for Recognition Night (8th Grade)
June 20 - Tentative date for last day of school
Curriculum Updates
LA
7 - Students handed in their Companion Book drafts today. Next week we will do mini lessons to add lead and ending, talk about how to organize the various sections to best inform the reader and revise and edit these papers into more polished pieces.
8 - Students began drafting their Position Papers this week. Section 1 of the paper (argument) drafts were due today. We will add other sections to this paper next week.
Science
7th - Students explored adaptations of organisms by creating bizarre creatures using zoomorph pieces, and by comparing 3 species of bears. They’re now extending their concept of adaptations to the variety of mechanisms that drive evolution of species.
8th - We explored energy transfer by conduction this week through investigations and computer models. Students will apply their understanding of thermal conductivity in an engineering design project next week!
Math
7: We are into Investigation 2 in Moving Straight Ahead. We are currently examining how rates and starting points from linear stories show up in equations, tables, and graphs. Next week we will be applying this knowledge to equations in slope-intercept form. We will be working towards being fluent with going back and forth between tables, graphs, and equations.
8: This week, we used our knowledge of reflections, rotations, and translations to prove the congruence of angles formed by parallel lines cut by a transversal. We also used this knowledge to prove the sum of interior angles and exterior angles of a triangles are 180 degrees and 360 degrees, respectively. We also explored the effect of dilations on geometric shapes. We are looking to wrap up this unit next week with a unit test at the end of the week.
Algebra: This week, we used our knowledge of reflections, rotations, and translations to prove the congruence of angles formed by parallel lines cut by a transversal. We also used this knowledge to prove the sum of interior angles and exterior angles of a triangles are 180 degrees and 360 degrees, respectively. We also explored the effect of dilations on geometric shapes. We are looking to wrap up this unit next week with a unit test at the end of the week.
SS
7 - Student spent the week preparing a complex task for the district assessment. Please check in with your child about their progress with this project - it is due Monday. Next week will see the culmination of the Sovereign State Game - should be a wild finale!
8 - the Career unit was a major component to the week; it was a great success, with all students presenting and shadowing this year. Students started another unit about bills before the Vermont Legislature; in groups, students selected bills they were interested in researching and discussing with "experts". If any adults would like to support this unit by completing surveys or serving as experts for the following bills, please contact Mr. Pless.
VT Legislature Bill Search: http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/search/2018
H.170 (main marijuana possession bill)
H.188 (increasing penalties for animal cruelty)
S.18 (freedom of expression for students)
H.177 (An act relating to the moisture content of firewood sold in Vermont)
H.419 (recording of civil or criminal offenses by law enforcement)
H.8 (distracted driving)
H.218 (adequate shelter of dogs and cats)
H.212 (penalties for killing a law enforcement dog)
