Hi all,
We are back and rockin’ it on Team Fusion. Over the next few weeks, please check in with your child about upcoming assignments - we are entering the final few units of study in each class.
CPRs are Back!
PLPs are finished so students are returning to their CPR groups on Mondays and Fridays, from 8 - 8:20am.
Personal Hygiene Update
Just a reminder - warmer temps and high dew points are prevalent throughout the building; please check in about basic hygiene. Conditions are MUCH improved since the first communication; keep up the good work!
8th Grade Families:
Please notice the attached permission form for the 8th grade field trip to the Great Escape Amusement Park! Hard copies were sent home with students today. This trip is one of the final celebratory events for this current graduating class. Please look over the letter, consider chaperoning, and direct any questions or comments to lisa.windhausen@cesuvt.org!
All Laptops are at school over the Weekend
There should be no school laptops / electronic devices at home over the weekend. If one does make its way home, please secure it in a spot where it will remain unused for the break.
Calendar
May 9 - Last Delayed Start
May 11 - Surprise! Another ⅞ Dance 7-9pm $5 entrance
June 1 - 8th Grade: Move up Day at MMU
June 13 - Vivasionville returns (more information coming)
June 14 - Tentative 7th Grade Field Trip to Sandbar State Park ($15)
June 14 - Tentative 8th Grade Field Trip to the Great Escape ($65) - Field Trip Permission form attached
June 19 - Tentative last day for 8th graders (MMU Class of 2022) and Recognition Night
June 20 - Tentative last student day of school (grades 5-7)
Curriculum Updates
LA
7/8 Reading Expectations: Both grades started writing units this week. All students are still expected to continue with independent reading 30 minutes each day. Students will be setting goals for reading habits for the end of the year. Those who are at a 3 or 4 for reading process (see reading journal score on schoology) may set their own goals. Those who are in the 0-2 range who want to raise their process scores need to jot in their journals 3x each week and include the reading strategy (presented in class on Mondays) in their journals at least once during the week. Everyone needs to read 30 minutes/day, try the Monday strategy in their journal and keep a list in their journal of books completed.
7 -- Students took a writing pre assessment this week. We began our Realistic Fiction unit. Mini lessons are focused on idea generation. Students will have the opportunity to test out few story ideas before committing to one for the process piece.
8 -- Students took a writing pre assessment this week. We began our Literary Essay unit with mini lessons focused on strategies for analyzing short stories. We will be trying something new next week when we do some shared writing to create a thematic essay together as a class. The unit ends with comparative essays.
Math
7: This week, we wrapped up the investigations in the book from Comparing and Scaling. While I was originally thinking of having the unit assessment next week, I would like to do some supplemental work to the unit over the next week and have the unit assessment the following week. Also, students have a weekly homework assignment that is due next Wednesday.
8: We have finished the investigations for the Say It With Symbols and are reviewing for a unit test on Wednesday of next week. Students have a weekly homework assignment that is due next Tuesday. This contains problems that will help them review for the test.
Science
7 - This week, we focused on how resource availability affects population sizes of different organisms. Students modeled deer populations over time with an outdoor simulation game and practiced their graph creation and interpretation skills. Students completed a targeted assessment on these skills on Friday. Next week, we explore interactions among species in ecosystems.
8 - We began our week with an overview of forces, with a focus on the variety of forces that affect objects at rest and in motion. We explored various types of friction using sneakers, as well as with pulleys, straws, and masses. Students also used an online force bench simulator to practice with balancing forces. We continue with gravity and falling objects investigations next week.
SS
7 - Students have been working with Population Pyramids to explore how events and experiences within a country can affect population and the future. The Sovereign State Game is in full swing, with students trading, making alliances and assuming control over the game. Ask your child about their “state” and what they did this week during the game.
8 - If it’s the end of the year, it must be time to study the Civil War! Students started exploring the conflict by looking more deeply into the current debate over Civil War statues and their removal. Students are working through a series of tasks using the Inquiry Development Model (IDM) - to see the different questions and tasks, use this link.
Personal Finance Game of the Week: Cat Insanity - all about managing consumer debt, compound interest and why minimum payments really don’t get you ahead with credit cards.
Beautiful weekend ahead! Get those kids outside - every one of them has yardwork for homework:) Enjoy the sun.
Team Fusion
