Monday, October 23, 2017

Fusion Communication: October 19

Hi all,
Whew - we made it! First break of the year - the students definitely need it.  Lots going on with Team Fusion after the break - see below for all the happenings.

School Dance - Friday, October 27
The first 7/8 dance of the year is being sponsored by Team Fusion - and it is the only fundraiser the team has for the year! Families are asked to contribute items that can be sold at the dance.  Some examples below:
  • Box of fruit snacks
  • Individual bags of popcorn
  • 10-12 servings (please respect the limit) of one of the following:
    • Baked goods
    • Cookies
    • Brownies
    • Rice krispie treats
  • Bottled water, juices, seltzers (please, no large bottles - individual serving sizes)
The “No Thank You” list:
  • Candy
  • Soft drinks
  • Anything with nuts


For 7th Grade families:
  • Dances are from 7-9pm
  • BRMS dances are only for students enrolled in the school. Any guests must be approved by Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Archambault
  • There is a $5 admission fee
  • Food items are for purchase only - usually .25 to $1 per item


Parent Conferences
The team appreciates all the families that signed up for these conferences - always a pleasure to see you.
 
All Laptops are at school over the break
No school issued laptops should be at home over the break.  In the event a laptop does make its way home, please bring it back to the team on Thursday morning - we will be at school for the morning. Emails will be sent home to families whose students did not leave their laptops in the carts on Wednesday afternoon.


Calendar
October 20 - No School/School Recess
October 27 (change!) - Fusion Sponsored School Dance (donation of food/drink item from each family for no more than 10 people - basically, no more than 10 servings:) See the write-up above for more information.
November 8 - Two Hour Delay
December 1 - 7th grade field trip to Vermont International Festival ($5 fee - looking for a few chaperones)
December 13 - Two Hour Delay
December Break - December 25-29, January 1


Reading
Books should be brought to all study halls and LA class each day.


Curriculum Updates….
LA
*** Reading Journals are due today! ***
7 - Students browsed topics and began research for their first writing piece this week. This information writing unit focuses on the various text structures authors use to inform their readers. Students will receive mini lessons on seven text structures. They will then select three to use in their essays which we will draft and revise over time in class. Graphic organizers were provided in class to support students with research and drafting.


8 - Students began drafting their investigative journalism pieces this week. This genre of writing combines observation, research and interviews to inform and sway a reader. We will revise this writing next week in class. Graphic organizers were provided in class to support students with research and drafting.


Science
7 -  Following several investigations using microscopes to examine a variety of cells and microorganisms, students reviewed main ideas and skills in preparation for a check-up quiz on Wednesday.  This will give me information on how ready they are to move forward after the short break.  If ready, we’ll move on to study bacteria and fungi!


8 - Students wrapped up the universe unit last week, and are now investigating a mystery mixture!  Their job is to use observation skills to correctly identify the 2 substances in the mystery mixture, while practicing their ability to describe characteristic properties of 9 substances that look very similar.  This is the first investigation in the Properties of Matter unit, which will carry us into winter.


SS
7 - Students spent time processing the information collected during the field trip, making Thinglink! Interactive pictures and typing up the interview responses.  See examples in the link below:


After the break, students will embark on project called “My Vermont”, which will also serve as the district assessment for the Culture Unit.  The project will take three weeks to complete and involve students interviewing family and community members, creating surveys and taking photos.


8 - Students finished their Profile 1763 projects end of the last week.  Students spent time this week exploring the NFL anthem protests through the lens of free speech and boundaries of that right.


After the break, students will start the district assessment which is a series of assessments regarding events and ideas leading to the American Revolution. As part of the lessons supporting the assessments, students will have the option to create Instagram accounts based on their Profile 1763 characters - this option will only be available if your child has parental permission and access to a mobile device.  Please contact Mr. Pless if you have questions or concerns about your child using the social media platform.

Math
7: We wrapped up the Shapes and Designs unit on Wednesday with a unit assessment. Our next unit will be Filling and Wrapping. This unit explores surface area and volume of prisms and cylinders.


8: This week we continued to explore different examples of inverse variation functions as well as how these are different from linear relationships. Next week, we will wrap up our investigation into inverse variation and begin to review and, for those students who are ready, extend the concepts for the first half of the unit. We will be shooting to have a mid-unit assessment for this content by the end of the week.


The Fusion Team