Fusion Team Communication: February 10

Hi all,

Things are starting to bubble a bit on Team Fusion - two weeks until break.  Some students just need a quick reminder from families about their two jobs at school: taking care of each other and doing their best as we finish the trimester.

8th Grade Families Only: MMU Recommendation Forms

Please review and then sign the form.  Questions about specific courses should be referred to the content teacher or Ms. Wisniowski. Forms are due back to Ms. Wisniowski no later than today - Friday, February 10.

Career Panel February 22, 8-9am

The 8th graders will be starting the annual career unit this coming Monday.  The team would like to provide a panel of Fusion parents willing to discuss their career choices, the pathways they took to their present career, and the challenges/rewards of that career with these 8th graders.

Please note - the team wants all parents comfortable participating on this panel to volunteer, but teachers may need to pick from this pool to provide a broad spectrum of careers.  Thank you for understanding.

Field Trip Permission Form

Please check in with your child regarding the field trip permission form to Spare Time on Thursday, Feb. 23rd.  We are still missing a few.  Thank you.

Calendar

February 10 - 8th Grade High School Course Recommendation Forms due back.

February 10 - ⅞ Dance (Fundraiser for Team Fusion - donations of food to the dance)

February 16 - NAEP testing (8th Grade only - Afternoon)

February 17 - YRBS questionnaire (7th and 8th grades only - morning)

February 22 - 8th grade Career Unit Panel, 8-9am

February 23 - Field Trip to Bowling/Lunch of Pizza and Chinese

February 24 - Day before break: All school activity in afternoon (please notify team if your child is not attending school that day)

February 24 - close of Trimester 2 report card

Curriculum Update

LA -  

Process Pieces (Competitive Sports Essay -7th and Literary Essay - 8th) were due last Friday. Both grades will be taking a break from writing and focusing reading units this week. This means no reading logs for both groups until break! Students will be completing in-class reading tasks related to each grade’s respective reading units. Both 7th and 8th grade students will be taking on demand writing assessments next week. See below for specific details:

7th - Students have already begun research to prepare for the Argument Writing Assessment that will take place in class on Monday February 13th.

8th - Students will begin preparing for  in class on Monday for their Argument Writing Assessment taking place on Wednesday, February 15th.

Science

Trout Update!  Students are having a great time tracking the development of our brook trout!  The trout are currently at the “swim-up” stage, learning how to swim to the water surface and to consume food.  Apparently, if the trout are not offered food at the right time, they may miss the opportunity and never learn how to feed!  We will be planning to feed them several times per day, hoping that most of the 101 alevin become regular feeders before the vacation.

7th -  Besides tracking the trout, students dissected flowers this week, identified male and female structures, and studied the processes of pollination and fertilization.  Next week, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproduction.  We’ll have a quiz before moving on to a quick study of the Madagascar hissing cockroach!

8th - We finished our background work understanding the properties and interactions of waves last week, and learned more this week about how engineers design and plan for the energy that different types of waves apply to human structures, such as building and bridges.  Next week, we will focus on light waves and other types of electromagnetic radiation.

SS

7th - 7th graders spent a lot of time preparing for the Sovereign State Challenge.  In preparation, students spent time reviewing propaganda techniques, the role of the United Nations, gross domestic product, and creating a world map - see the picture. Next week, the students will start SSC in earnest, with the district assessment portion assigned early in the week.

8th - The focused continued to be on the Bill of Rights, especially focused on the 3rd and 2nd amendments.  There is a quiz Monday over the Bill of Rights and the district assessment project will be assigned on Tuesday.

Math

7th: We finished the first investigation of Comparing and Scaling this week. We investigated setting up and solving proportions using “between” and “within” relationships. We have also begun to launch the stock market game. In teams, student with simulate having $100,000 to invest in the stock market. This simulation helps teach real-world mathematical and economic concepts. More information is available at www.smgww.org.

8th Grade CMP: We continued our work with exponents this week with working with Scientific Notation and Exponential Decay. We have also begun to launch the stock market game. In teams, student with simulate having $100,000 to invest in the stock market. This simulation helps teach real-world mathematical and economic concepts. More information is available at www.smgww.org.

8th Algebra: We have explored 3 methods for solving a system of equations: Graphing, Substitution, & Elimination. We will be having another unit test before break. We have also begun to launch the stock market game. In teams, student with simulate having $100,000 to invest in the stock market. This simulation helps teach real-world mathematical and economic concepts. More information is available at www.smgww.org.

Team Fusion Communication: February 3

Hi all,

Shorter communication this week.  It’s been busy:) Make sure to take a look at the calendar - lots coming up.

8th Grade Families Only: MMU Recommendation Forms

8th graders are bringing home a recommendation form for MMU classes.  Please review and then sign the form.  Questions about specific courses should be referred to the content teacher or Ms. Wisniowski. Forms are due back to Ms. Wisniowski no later than Friday, February 3.

Dance Donations

A message was sent earlier in the week about the dance on February 10.  Team Fusion is using the dance as the annual fundraiser for the end of the year field trips.  Please use the link below to sign up for a baked good or water donation:

https://goo.gl/tz04Cs

Penguin Plunge 2017

The Plunge takes place this weekend - Saturday, February 4, 11am at the Burlington Waterfront (by the Coast Guard station).  It is a great event and the 13th year for BRMS to participate as a school. Plungers should meet Mr. Warren and Mr. Pless in Burlington City Hall Park by 9:30am.

There are 76 students, staff and community members signed up and over $16,000 raised to date!

Calendar

February 3 - 8th Grade High School Course Recommendation Forms went home.

February 8 - Two Hour Delay

February 10 - 8th Grade High School Course Recommendation Forms due back.

February 10 - ⅞ Dance (Fundraiser for Team Fusion - donations of food to the dance)

February 16 - NAEP testing (Afternoon)

February 23 - Field Trip to Bowling/Lunch of Pizza and Chinese

Team Fusion Communication: January 27

Hi all,

We are in full swing on Team Fusion. Lots of things are coming up in the next few weeks - see the calendar.

Penguin Plunge 2017

The Plunge takes place next weekend - Saturday, February 4 at the Burlington Waterfront (by the Coast Guard station).  It is a great event and the 13th year for BRMS to participate as a school.

BRMS is doing great with Penguin Plunge fundraising! There are 67 students, staff and community members signed up and $9,457 raised to date.  If you, your child are interested, please go online to the link below and register.

https://give.specialolympicsvermont.org/fundraise/team?ftid=100279

Calendar

January 30 - Fusion Algebra Mid-Term (Rescheduled from this past Thursday)

February 3 - 8th Grade High School Course Recommendation Forms go home.

February 8 - Two Hour Delay

February 10 - 8th Grade High School Course Recommendation Forms due back.

February 10 - ⅞ Dance (Fundraiser for Team Fusion - donations of food to the dance)

February 16 - NAEP testing (Afternoon)

February 23 - Field Trip to Bowling/Lunch of Pizza and Chinese

Academic Area Update

LA

**** Both grades have essays due on Friday, February 3rd. Some students may need to spend some time working on these at home in order to have them completed by the due date. To help with this, I have taken questions off the weekly reading log to allow students more time to devote to writing. If you are supporting your student with writing at home, the Writer’s Toolkit folder on Schoology is a great place to look for resources. I have posted checklists and writing tools that we use regularly in class. ***

7th: Students have been working hard drafting process pieces for our argument writing unit. Everyone has selected a claim (either for or against kids participating in competitive sports). Students have drafted body paragraphs, added leads and endings and are in the process of revising these writing pieces into “Best Drafts.” Completed essays are due on Friday, February 3rd. After we have finished this assignment, our focus shifts back to reading. Students will be exploring interest-based topics and fine-tuning their research skills before the next on demand writing assessment.

8th: Students have spent the past two weeks planning and drafting literary essays to demonstrate their analysis of Dystopian Literature. Final drafts of these process pieces are due next Friday, February 3rd. Once this writing unit is finished we will shift our focus back to reading. As a class we will be reading Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This novel ties in nicely with the 8th grade social studies unit on the American Revolution. There is an audio version available through the library. We will be using this in class often. Student will complete weekly and daily tasks connected to the book. Our focus will be on author’s craft (figurative language, etc.)

Science

7th Grade:  Students wrote their final explanation for how and why twins can look different from each other using their knowledge of heredity.  They also conducted a mini-research project and presented their understanding of one genetic disorder to the class.  Next week will will look closely at seeds and flowers, as we begin discussing different reproductive strategies among organisms.

8th Grade: Students completed their district assessment on force and motion last week, and began a new mini-unit on the properties and types of waves.  They completed several independent exploration stations this week, while I met with each student individually to discuss their recent assessment and their high school recommendation for science.

Math:

7th:  We have come to the end of another unit, Stretching and Shrinking. Students have learned to apply scale factor in analyzing mathematically similar shapes. This unit also lays the groundwork with proportional reasoning for the next unit, Comparing and Scaling. We will have our unit assessment on Tuesday of next week and will begin Comparing and Scaling next week as well.

8th CMP:  We have been exploring exponential relationships and developing rules for exponential functions as well as comparing these to linear functions. We will be investigating the properties of exponents next week and developing rules for simplifying exponential expressions. Also, I will be conferencing with students next week about math course recommendations for next year. These forms will go home with students on Friday.

8th Algebra: We have been preparing for the mid-term this week. We decided to postpone the test from this past Thursday to this coming Monday due to the snow day this week. Also, I will be conferencing with students next week about math course recommendations for next year. These forms will go home with students on Friday.

SS

7th: Students investigated the government of North Korea through the lens of an investigative video - Inside North Korea.  Make sure to ask your child about their thoughts about this experience. Students finished the week with a Propaganda Technique Challenge.  Next week will focus on another survey of different government types and then students will start the Sovereign State Challenge activity - that will be a multi-week project.

8th: Students continued to investigate the structure of government used by the United States. This week’s focus was on the judicial branch and student rights’ cases decided by the Supreme Court. Next week’s focus will continue on rights and the Bill of Rights.

Fusion Communication: January 6, 2017! Happy New Year

Hi all,

Team Fusion is back at for the new year - other than a sleepy Monday and no internet Wednesday, the week flowed well.  The new year brings some changes - see in the announcements below some of them.

Appropriate clothing for recess

As you may have noticed, it’s a bit chilly outside these days.  Please make sure your child has the appropriate coat and hat to be outside for up to 50 minutes a day.

Penguin Plunge 2017

BRMS is kicking off the 2017 Penguin Plunge effort this week.  If you, your child are interested, please go online to the link below and register.

https://give.specialolympicsvermont.org/fundraise/team?ftid=100279

Calendar

January 11 - Two hour delay

January 20 - 8th graders meet with MMU guidance counselors 8-9am (Topic: Transition to high school))

February 8 - Two Hour Delay

Academic Area Update

LA

7th: Students in 7th grade have been reading and analyzing articles on the topic of competitive sports. We are developing note taking systems and examining different types of evidence that writers of argument use to convince the reader. Pro/Con Notes are due next Friday. Students have been adding notes from various articles to these notes this week.

8th: In 8th grade we are wrapping up our reading unit on dystopian literature and moving into laying the groundwork for the next writing piece (literary essays). Students have begun to examine theme within the books they read and we will start next week to pull examples from the text into their writing.

Science

The trout eggs have arrived!  We received ~100 eggs from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Roxbury Hatchery, delivered by Trout Unlimited volunteers, on Wednesday.  They are nestled in their breeding basket, in a tank with water temperatures of around 45 degrees F!  Students will help to take care of these trout over the next 4 months!  Feel free to stop by for a peek!

7th:

We returned from vacation reviewing the family tree project (Due Monday!), practicing making Punnett squares to track genotypes in offspring, and playing a fun vocabulary game called Kahoot!  Students were introduced to another form of cell division, meiosis, and are beginning to understand the mechanisms of how traits are passed on to offspring at the cellular level.  They will create another video next week, this time modeling meiosis.  

8th:   

Our re-entry began with an engineering design challenge, using our knowledge of force and motion to design a device to deliver a ping pong ball to a cup in the center of a 6-foot circle without entering the circle!  We saw many successful and nearly successful designs!  We reviewed Newton’s Laws of Motion through several activities and are now practicing applying these laws by creating models to explain different scenarios.  Our unit wraps up in ~ 2 weeks.

SS

7th Grade: Students spent a few classes looking at the nature and function of rules (laws) in their favorite sport then it was off to a feudalism simulation.  Students were very mature during the simulation - few hurt feelings and a great deal of laughter while experiencing one of the most repressive systems of government ever created.

8th Grade:  The Constitution unit was loosely introduced this week, as students used the iCivics game Branches of Power to learn more about the federal republic system of government.  Current events featured a controversial topic - the transgender bathroom law of North Carolina - to focus students on the idea about what government should be responsible for, while allowing student to explore the limits and strengths of civil liberties.  Friday’s debate demonstrated the students building more and more impassioned civility.

Math:

7th: We are into the 3rd section of our current unit, Stretching and Shrinking. We are investigating the relationship between scale factor, perimeter, and area of mathematically similar figures.

8th CMP: We are in the process of reviewing for a unit test on our current unit, Looking for Pythagoras. We have been learning the different applications and proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. Out test will be on Wednesday. We have been building a reference packet of review activities that students will be able to use during the test. At the end of January, I will be making math course recommendations for next year. I will be meeting with students in the coming weeks to discuss their recommendation with each student individually.

8th Algebra: We are in the middle of our unit on linear relationships. We have introduced all 3 forms of equations, Standard, Point-Slope, and Slope-Intercept. Next week, we will continue to work to build familiarity with each form and fluency between them.  I will be meeting with students in the coming weeks to discuss their recommendation with each student individually.

Thanks, and watch out for the ice - looks like that kind of winter. Stay warm this weekend.

2016-17 Student Daily Schedules

2016-17 7th Grade Schedule
2016-17 8th Grade Schedule

Fusion Communication: December 16

Hi all,

OK - winter is at full throttle - what a difference a year makes! That said, we are rolling along on Fusion.  Please be advised that most teachers have assessments early next week, so if your family is leaving early for break please contact us.

Calling or texting home when sick

There have been a couple of times this December when a Fusion student has contacted someone at home through email or by text, stating they (the student) are sick, and want to be picked up. Please note that the school policy for a sick student wanting to go home, they should first go to the nurse’s office and the nurse will contact the family.

If your child does contact you about being sick, please notify the nurse on duty at BRMS before making plans to pick up your child.  

Appropriate clothing for recess

As you may have noticed, it’s a bit chilly outside these days.  Please make sure your child has the appropriate coat and hat to be outside for up to 50 minutes a day.

Penguin Plunge 2017

BRMS will be kicking off the 2017 Penguin Plunge effort next week.  If you, your child are interested, please go online to the link below and register.

https://give.specialolympicsvermont.org/fundraise/team?ftid=100279

Calendar

December 22 - Fun Day celebrations, Penguin Plunge Kick-off

December 23-January 1, 2017 - Holiday Break

January 11 - Two hour delay

January 20 - 8th graders meet with MMU guidance counselors 8-9am (Topic: Transition to high school))

February 8 - Two Hour Delay

Academic Area Update

LA

7th: In preparation for our argument writing unit, students have been participating in debates in class. We have talked about a variety of school related issues (year-round school, school uniforms). Students have been had many opportunities to practice gathering evidence to support a claim. Next we will move into a Research Clubs Unit to prepare students further for writing argument essays.

8th: Students in 8th grade are nearing the end of our Dystopian Book Clubs Unit. We have been practicing the skill of stopping and jotting notes about a text while reading. Students have examined their books in great detail, examining setting and mood, while also identifying dystopian characteristics. The goal is to finish these books before the break and to celebrate with treats and hot chocolate next Thursday morning. If you are interested in sending baked goods to school to share, please email Mrs. Bessette.

Science

7th: As an introduction to learning about heredity, students began to examine physical traits of themselves and their classmates.  They compared who has attached earlobes, freckles, hair on their fingers, and other interesting traits.  They are currently getting into the details of Mendelian genetics.  This will set the stage for their family tree project over break.

Repeat Message from last week: 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 before the next holiday vacation to give students time over the break to gather photos, images, and information. Thank you.

8th:   This week, students explored relationships between gravity and mass and between gravity and distance using an online simulator, while learning how to record and display data using Google Sheets.  They are beginning to pull together concepts related to gravity, acceleration, and friction to understand comparisons between objects falling to earth.  Next week, we’ll review air resistance and terminal velocity on Monday.  They’ll complete a quiz on Tuesday.

SS

7th Grade: Students continued to explore the Five Big Religions of the world through readings, images and a food activity.

PLEASE NOTE: 7th grade students will be bringing in a prepared recipe next week as part of a culminating activity.  Check in with your child as to what day they signed up to bring in their food, and to ask what they need to prepare this recipe.

8th Grade: Students continued to explore the Declaration of Independence and started a new movie, The Crossing, about the American Revolution.

Math:

7th: Student finished up the unit, Accentuate the Negative, with a unit test on Thursday. Today we began Stretching and Shrinking. This unit explores the concept of similar figures and scaling figures.

8th CMP: This week we discovered and proved the Pythagorean Theorem (with a little help from Pythagoras. We will spend next week applying the theorem to find the missing sides of right triangles.

8th Algebra: We wrapped up Unit 1B this week with a unit test. We will be studying linear relationships and inequalities in our next unit.

Thanks, and hopefully you are enjoying this very snowy December - several more inches projected for this weekend.

Fusion Communication: December 9

Hi all,

The between break session is in full swing. Make sure your child has the jackets they need to be outside at recess and morning duty - it’s getting cold out there.

Report Cards

All families should have received report cards in the mail this week - if you have not or have a question about something on the report card, please contact the team.

Congratulations Mrs. Brandt

She is the recipient of a $1000 award from Berlin Kia - the money will be used for snacks in the Homework Club, in which several Fusion students participate.

Calendar

December 9 - School Dance (7-9pm; $5 at the door)

December 14 - Two Hour Delay

December 22 - Fun Day celebrations, Penguin Plunge Kick-off

December 23-January 1, 2017 - Holiday Break

January 11 - Two hour delay

January 20 - 8th graders meet with MMU guidance counselors 8-9am (Topic: Transition to high school))

February 8 - Two Hour Delay

Academic Area Update

***Mrs. Bessette was absent on Friday, so she will include updates next week.

Science

7th:   The 7th grade will continue to produce several projects during this current unit on genetics and heredity.  Please view their mitosis stop-motion videos of mitosis by clicking on their class link:  Group C;  Group D.  This week’s project is to create a model of a segment of DNA using pipe cleaners and beads.  Students will also model how the DNA strand separates and duplicates during cell division.

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 before the next holiday vacation to give students time over the break to gather photos, images, and information. Thank you.

8th:   The 8th grade is in the midst of their force and motion unit.  Last week, we reviewed the concept of force, discussed the relationship between balanced and unbalanced forces and motion, practiced modeling free-body diagrams,  and evaluated the frictional forces of different types of shoes.  The concept for this week was acceleration, which set the stage for next week’s exploration of free fall, air resistance, and terminal velocity.  

SS

7th Grade: Students have been learning more about the “Big Five Religions” of the world, and are starting the process of comparing them to each other… and to their own life experiences.  In addition, students are starting the process of preparing a dish/meal to share with the class in the week before the break.  If you have not heard about the dish/meal PLEASE check in with your child about this assignment.  No one likes to find out at 7pm on a Sunday night they need to find a source for goat meat or acai juice.

8th Grade: Social Studies film study unit continues as the 8th graders explore the American identity through five films: two Schoolhouse Rocks shorts (“No More Kings”, and “Fireworks”), April Morning, Johnny Tremain and The Crossing. The students have been exploring the promise and inadequacies of the Declaration of Independence this week.

Math:

7th: We are wrapping up Accentuate the Negative and will have a unit assessment on Wednesday of next week. This week we focused on order of operations and used the distributive property to represent expressions in factored and expanded form.

8th CMP: We started a new unit, Looking for Pythagoras, last week. We have been using grid paper to find the area of irregular polygons in order to find the area of diagonally oriented squares. This allowed us to find the side lengths of these squares as the square root of the area of the squares. This is the foundation for proving the Pythagorean theorem.

8th Algebra: We are wrapping up our work on Unit 1B, Solving Equations. We have spent this week extending some of the work we have done over the course of the unit. We will be having the unit assessment on Wednesday of next week.