Fusion Communication: December 14, 2018

Hi all,

We are starting to see much more illness at school - just that time of the year. Please review basic “sickness” protocols with your children - coughing into “wings”, washing hands frequently, not sharing water bottles. Otherwise, it has been a typical “week-before-the-week-before”.

Ugly Mug Contest (and donation)
Mr. Pless needs some mugs for his classroom - he has a water filter that sees much use and many students do not have water bottle. If your family has some “ugly” mugs you wish to donation - defined as not glass, school appropriate, with small chips, and lives at the back of the cupboard because of its “unique” design - please send them in with your child. The contest will take place Thursday and Friday next week.

Foodarama - 7th Grade Families Only
**Please check with your child about preparations for Foodarama… do they have a plan? Have they adjusted the recipe to reflect 20-40 portions? We have been working on portion sizes in class.

On the afternoon of Thursday, December 20 (12:40ish to 2:15), Fusion students will be providing the BRMS community with the annual Foodarama experience. Students will work in pairs or alone to produce a recipe from the world, at least 20 servings (better if there are more), and the will share the food with school members during the afternoon. There will be plenty of time to warm and store the food in the health and wellness room. All students were to get a permission form signed by families, or were to have a family member send an email confirming they know about the project and are willing to help with the process.

8th Grade - Laptops should be at school over the weekend:)

7th Grade - some students have taken laptops home for the family tree project.

Calendar:
December 20: Foodarama (7th Grade - afternoon 12:40-2:15)
                       Laptops collected and audited (NO LAPTOPS home over the break)
December 21: Not an official “fun” day but not really a heavy academic day… we’ll call it Hybrid                              Day!
December 24-28, 31 and January 1: No School - break
January 2, 2019(!): School resumes
January 9: Delayed Start
February 13: Delayed Start
February 18-22: *tentative* week for the annual bowling and Chinese/Pizza buffett
February 22: Student-Faculty Basketball Game (1:20ish to 2:20ish)
                      *Only 8th Grade basketball players can play
                      Last Day before Break
April 10: Delayed Start
May 8: Last Delayed Start

Curriculum Updates
Math
7- This week we used tesselating shapes to create larger similar figures of the original shape. We used these shapes to find patterns between scale factor, the factor for the change in perimeter, and the factor for the change in area. Next week, we will use our understanding of scale factor and similar figures to solve for missing side lengths and angles in a variety of situations.

8- This week we finished up the last investigations of the unit with comparing and analyzing categorical data in two-way tables. On Monday of next week, George Ashline, a professor from St. Michael’s, will be visiting our 8th grade classrooms to lead us through a correlation activity. This should be an engaging and relevant look at a concept we explored in this unit. We will plan to do some unit review on Tuesday and Wednesday and have the unit assessment on Thursday.

Science
7 - Please Read: Coming soon, students will create a family tree poster that traces genetic traits and/or traits that are acquired, or learned, over 3 generations. Students have the choice of researching their own family tree, the family of another species, such as a pet, or a famous person's family. The goal is for students to gain experience tracing the lineage of specific traits within a family and to relate this experience to our studies of genetics and inheritance. I know that there can be sensitivity around this type of project for some students and families; my hope is that the options provided allow for every student to have a positive experience with this assignment. Please let me know if you have any particular concerns or suggestions. I plan to introduce the project next week to give students time over the break to gather photos, images, and information. The project will not be due until January 11, so there will be time after the break to work on this. Thank you!

8 - Students continue to hone their modeling skills while explaining the characteristics and behaviors of gasses. They will have an assessment next week on their ability to create and use a model to describe the relationship between particles in matter and temperature changes.

SS
7 - Students engaged in a potpourri of activities related to food and cuisine (see Foodarama update), survey activities of the major world religions, a fun personal finance game and geography. Next week will focus on preparing for the Foodarama activity and creating a geography that supports a cuisine in student’s Sovereign State country.

8 - The American Revolution film unit continues, with students viewing the 1988 remake of author Howard Fast’s novel April Morning (starring Tommy Lee Jones, Rip Torn and Rob Lowe’s brother, Chad). Students are using these films to evaluate how the American Revolution is portrayed in film, versus what actually happened, and then rewriting one scene to reflect the actual events or to have the film reflect what students feel are the values of Americans in 2018.

Five more days - team wishes all students a good weekend and to be ready for a positive week before break:)

The Fusion Team