Fusion Communication: February 8

Hi all,

With the weather being all squirrelly, it will be important for students to get enough rest. There are two weeks left and the team is looking forward to finishing strong for the trimester.

Career Panel: looking for Volunteers - Thursday, February 21, 8-9am
Team Fusion is looking for 6-8 parents/community members willing to spend an hour discussing their career choices with our 8th grade students as part of the Career Unit/PLP kick-off week. We will provide you with questions to prepare answers for, and also keep the panel to one hour so you can meet your other commitments for the day. Team Fusion is looking for a wide range of career options, pathways and education backgrounds; the panel is a much richer experience with a greater diversity of professions and life experiences.
Please contact Mr. Pless if interested: bryant.pless@cesuvt.org

Annual Bowling, Chinese, Pizza Day!Team will take February 15 to celebrate us with a field trip to Spare Time Bowling, then return to school for the annual Chinese/Pizza Buffet. $20 and permission form required - see attached form. Form was due Friday, Feb 8th.

Congratulations Penguin PlungersThe following students from Team Fusion participated in the Penguin Plunge this year - kudos to them!
Riya Sawyer
Allie Fullem
Kaia Sleeper-Spady
Celia Polli
Erin Robillard - Staff
Kevin Hamilton - Administrator
Nicole Thompson - Staff
Bryant Pless - Staff

Power Cords should NOT be coming home with students
It has come to our attention that students are taking power cords out of the computer carts and bringing them home; sometimes these cords are not assigned to that student. We ask families to keep an eye out for Chromebook cords at home and return any that your family did not purchase for themselves - no questions will be asked, we just need the cords back. Thanks.

All laptops should remain at school over the weekend.
Calendar:
Week of February 11: Kick-off for the 8th Grade Career Unit/7th Grade PLP Process
February 13: Delayed Start
February 15: The annual bowling and Chinese/Pizza buffett - Confirmed date
                      8th grade recommendation forms are due BACK to BRMS. If not turned in to BRMS 

                      by this time, families will need to deliver the forms to the high school.
February 21: 8-9am Career Panel (looking for six adult volunteers to speak with students about their 

                      careers)
February 22: Student-Faculty (Read and White) Basketball Game (1:20ish to 2:20ish)
                      *Only 8th Grade basketball players can play*

                      Last Day before Break
February 23-March 5: Winter Break (no school)
March 29: 7/8 Dance - Fusion Field Trip Fundraiser! We will be asking families to donate food items                                                                                         to sell
April 10: Delayed Start
April 20-28: Spring Break (no school)
May 8: Last Delayed Start
June 3: Tentative Move-up Day - 8th Graders to MMU

Curriculum Updates
LA
*** All students should still be reading 30 minutes each day, outside of class. ***

Math: Due to changes in my personal schedule, Math extra help sessions will be changing from Thursday afternoons, to Monday afternoons. They will continue to be from 2:45 - 3:25. If your student is planning to attend, please just let me know by noon on that Monday.

7 - This week we finished the remainder of the investigations in our current unit, Comparing and Scaling. Next week will be doing some review work to prepare for a unit assessment towards the end of the week.

8 - This week we wrapped up the Looking for Pythagoras unit with a unit assessment and have started our next unit, Growing, Growing, Growing. This is unit investigates exponential growth and decay as well as exponent rules.

Science
7 - Students completed their investigation of the effects of salt and genetics on plant germination and growth. They summarized their findings using a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning structure, which we use often for science writing. Students also examined the structures of flowers, learned about the diversity of plant structures that match specific pollinators, and reviewed the variety of animal behaviors that increase their chances for successful reproduction. We watched several entertaining videos of bird courtship displays!

8 - Students are designing their own investigations and engineering projects related to thermal energy transfer this week! They are in the midst of the final engineering challenge, working in design teams, to maximize thermal energy transfer from either a heat lamp or electric burner to a model of a cookie or a hot tub. They are in the process of selecting materials which will aid in the transfer of energy to their model. Next week, they will build, test, evaluate and present their devices, all before Friday’s field trip!

SS

7 - Students continued to develop a flow chart of their representative government. There was a deeper look at US representative democracy by watching Ted-ed videos of important concepts in American democracy:

Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances
What gives the dollar its value?
Fight for the Right to Vote
Equality, Sports and Title IX (9)

Students will be finishing their Flowcharts next week and working to create propaganda for their Sovereign State countries.

8 - Students have been working to research standards related to the Constitution - a video project about these standards is due early next week. A deeper dive into US court system was started in the middle of the week, with a mock trial of Marcus Brutus used to introduce the basic procedures, and now the students are engaged in another mock trial involving a student caught with vaping items. Some of the research Mr. Pless used to produce the trial was obtained from the Vaping Workshop held at BRMS last week - if interested, there is a link to a video of that workshop below. The video is appropriate for adult audiences, and should be used as an informational source to open discussion with your child about the growing use of vaping devices in all Vermont schools.
Link to Vaping Workshop Video

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

The Fusion Team

Fusion Communication: February 4

Hi all,

While it might not have been THE polar vortex, it sure was cold this week; frequent indoor recesses for everyone. It will be nice to see the temps rise for a few days so students can get outside during the day. The team is in the throes of planning February 15ths Bowling/Pizza/Chinese day - please get those permission forms in! Also, 8th grade transition continues with the recommendation forms due February 15th.



Annual Bowling, Chinese, Pizza Day!
Team will take February 15 to celebrate us with a field trip to Spare Time Bowling, then return to school for the annual Chinese/Pizza Buffet. $20 and permission form required - see attached form. Form is due Friday, Feb 8th.

Congratulations Penguin Plungers
The following students from Team Fusion participated in the Penguin Plunge this year - kudos to them!

Riya Sawyer

Allie Fullem

Kaia Sleeper-Spady

Erin Robillard - Staff

Kevin Hamilton - Administrator

Nicole Thompson - Staff

Bryant Pless - Staff

Power Cords should NOT be coming home with students
It has come to our attention that students are taking power cords out of the computer carts and bringing them home; sometimes these cords are not assigned to that student. We ask families to keep an eye out for Chromebook cords at home and return any that your family did not purchase for themselves - no questions will be asked, we just need the cords back. Thanks.

Calendar:
Week of February 11: Kick-off for the 8th Grade Career Unit/PLP Process for 7th Grade

February 13: Delayed Start

February 15: The annual bowling and Chinese/Pizza buffett - Confirmed date (see attached     permission slip)

8th grade recommendation forms are due BACK to BRMS

February 22: Student-Faculty Basketball Game (1:20ish to 2:20ish)

*Only 8th Grade basketball players can play*

Last Day before Break

February 23-March 5: Winter Break (no school)

March 29: 7/8 Dance - Fusion Field Trip Fundraiser!

April 10: Delayed Start

April 20-28: Spring Break (no school)

May 8: Last Delayed Start

June 3: Tentative Move-up Day - 8th Graders to MMU


Curriculum Updates
LA
*** All students should still be reading 30 minutes each day, outside of class. ***

7 Students started work on the graphic organizer for their information writing piece: companion books. Mini lessons will focus on ways to use multiple text structures to convey meaning to the reader and highlight important ideas.

8 Students have been working on some shared writing around theme in our mentor text. Next week we will dig into author's craft, followed by the start of our process piece — a comparative essay in which students will write about two short stories of their choice. The graphic organizer for this writing piece will be on schoology soon.

Math: Due to changes in my personal schedule, Math extra help sessions will be changing from Thursday afternoons, to Monday afternoons. They will continue to be from 2:45 - 3:25. If your student is planning to attend, please just let me know by noon on that Monday.

7 - We completed Investigation 2 in Comparing & Scaling. This investigation explored comparison strategies, scaling rates, and unit rates. Next week we will be investigating proportions with percents, measurement conversions, and making connections between ratios, rates, percents, and proportions.

8 - Course placement forms will be going home this coming Monday. I have had the chance to meet with students this week and discuss their placement with them. If there are any questions about this process or my recommendations, please do not hesitate to contact me.

We finished up this week by doing some review and extension work in preparation for the Looking for Pythagoras end of unit assessment. We will be having the assessment on Tuesday of next week. Our next unit of study will be Growing, Growing, Growing which focuses on exponential growth and exponent rules. 

Science

7 - We finished the unit on body systems last week, and are now busy exploring life cycles - how do organisms grow, develop, and reproduce in their suitable environments? We will introduce the idea that both genetics and the environment influence survival and reproduction or organisms. This mini-unit will lead nicely into our heredity unit after the break. Meanwhile, the trout are looking fantastic! All have hatched and are now in the “sac-fry” stage of life!



8 - As we near the end of the Properties of Matter unit, students are busy designing and conducting experiments to discover how different materials transmit, reflect, and absorb thermal energy. They will use these discoveries to design a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer next week! They completed an assessment this week focused on the skill of designing investigations.

SS

7 - Students have been designing a representative democracy for their Sovereign State countries, and continue to explore what it means to be “representative” and “democratic”.

8 - Students began their Constitution Videos this week, using a checklist from the Constitution pre-assessment given at the beginning of the week.


We are at the ½ way point of the trimester(and the academic year) - good time to check in with your child about their school supplies.


The Fusion Team

Fusion Communication: January 4, 2019!

Hi all,

The New Year has started and the first three days were a breeze. It will be a busy few weeks until the next break.

Ugly Mug Contest (and donation)
The winner is…. Santa Mug.

Thanks to the Gautsch family for adding FOUR of these unique mugs to the collection. Donations are welcome any time.

All laptops should remain at school over the weekend.
Calendar:
January 9: Delayed Start
January 18: MMU Counselors meet with 8th graders 1:40-2:40 pm (and so it begins… transition!)
January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (Inservice - no school for students)
January 24: 8th Grade parent/Family Night at MMU for rising 9th graders (MMU Class of 2023!) - 7pm
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
February 23-March 5: Winter Break (no school)
April 10: Delayed Start
April 20-28: Spring Break (no school)
May 8: Last Delayed Start

Curriculum Updates
LA
Both grades are at the tail end of reading units (dystopian - 8 and historical fiction - 7). Both grades will complete a Reading POST assessment next Wednesday. Students can have more time if one class period isn’t enough. We will be preparing in class on Monday and Tuesday. Students should be reviewing unit skills practiced in their notebooks -- they do not need to be jotting at this time.

Up next:
7 - Companion Books (information writing)
8 - Literary Essay (argument writing)

Math
7: We are close to wrapping up our current unit, Stretching & Shrinking. We will finish the last couple of investigations at the beginning of next week and start reviewing for a unit assessment at the beginning of the following week.

8: We have begun our next unit, Looking for Pythagoras. In the unit, students will discover and prove the Pythagorean Theorem, learn to write fractions as repeating or terminating decimals, learn to recognize rational and irrational numbers, learn to locate irrational numbers on a number line, learn to relate the area of a square as well as the volume of a cube to their side lengths, and learn to estimate square roots and cube roots. 

Science
7 - Students did excellent work writing a 5-paragraph essay about body systems before break! We continue to make connections among body systems at all levels of organization. We will be sure all students know the basics of the circulatory, respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems in the next couple of weeks, as we wrap up this unit.

8 - We are continuing our unit on the properties of matter and will relate energy transfer rates to different properties of materials. Students will complete an engineering project later this month, designing a system that keeps an object warm. Some may be asking to bring in materials from home!

SS
7 - Foodarama ended well! What a great experience and we had just the right amount of food. Otherwise, students are beginning a unit about government systems that leads off with an experiential activity in Feudalism. It’s always one of the favorite activities of 7th grade.

8 - While students enjoyed the American Revolution Film Unit (and the excessive amounts of popcorn). It’s time to move on to the creation of the nation - the Constitution era! Students are beginning with a dive into the language within the Declaration of Independence, then will quickly move into an assessment for the first form of government, The Articles of Confederation.

Enjoy the return of snow (or at least easy to remove snow) and have a restful weekend.

The Fusion Team

Hi all,

Whew! We made it - again; wild weather end to the five week stretch. The calendar has been updated, especially with information for 8th grade families about high school transition. (Whaaaat?!)

Ugly Mug Contest (and donation)
Mr. Pless needs some mugs for his classroom - he has a water filter that sees much use and many a student do not have water bottles. 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 Friday after break.

Foodarama
Thank you! Event was very successful, feeding over 250+ students from grades 5-8. See a short video below for a glimpse into the event:
                                                       Foodarama 2018
*There are some 8th grade “cameo” appearances!

All laptops were collected before break. Your family will be notified if a laptop is not accounted for at school:)

Calendar:
December 24-28, 31 and January 1: No School - break
January 2, 2019(!): School resumes
January 9: Delayed Start
January 18: MMU Counselors meet with 8th graders 1:40-2:40 pm (and so it begins… transition!)

January 24: 8th Grade parent/Family Night at MMU for rising 9th graders (MMU Class of 2023!) - 7pm

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 return in 2019!

Happy holiday break - the team wishes all a restful, energetic, low-key, bodacious 11 days… and a happy new year!

The Fusion Team

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

Fusion Communication: November 9

Hi all,

It’s definitely starting to feel like the week before Thanksgiving:) We’re still rolling on Team Fusion, with assessments and final projects before the end of the first trimester. The weather will be much colder next week - students should be prepared to spend 25 minutes in mid-20s next week.

Movember Madness - for the BRMS Food Shelf
BRMS will engage in Movember frenzy this coming week. The BRMS Movember campaign attempts to raise awareness of the needs for wellness during the winter months, but also seeks to raise food items for the BRMS food shelf. During the holiday months, the BRMS school community supports several families with food and personal hygiene items; these families are unable to meet their needs through the area food shelves (or cannot access them because of work schedule, transportation issues).

The basics:
- Any staff member (or 8th grader who checks in with Mr. Pless)can be a participant

- They adopt a "persona" about wellness and make campaign posters to place around the school. For example, Mr. Pless will be "The Man" Mr. Pless (see The Killers "The Man" official music video)

- The more food and personal hygiene items the participants raise, the more "votes" they get in the competition

- Families can donate non-perishable food or personal hygiene items by placing them in boxes by the office. Gift cards to area grocery stores and pharmacies can also be donated (please leave those in Mr. Pless's mailbox).

- There will be the annual Movember parade through the school Friday, November 16 from 8-8:20am.

Laptops should be at school over the weekend:)

Calendar:

November 14: Delayed Start

November 16: Grades Close - 1st trimester

Normal day of school (no fun day but academics will be “low key”)

November 19-23: School Break (teacher inservice Nov. 19-20)

November 30: First ⅞ Dance of the year! Woot!

November 30 (tentative): 7th Grade field trip to International Festival

December 3-7: 1st Trimester Report Cards released

December 12: Delayed Start

December 24-28: No School - break

January 2, 2019(!): School resumes

January 9: Delayed Start


Curriculum Updates
LA

Students should be reading 30 mins a day outside of class (study hall is fine). Reading notebook jotting work will resume after the break.

7 -- Narrative Assessment on Monday and Tuesday -- Students are encouraged to revise and resubmit their pre assessment.

8 -- Information Writing Assessment on Monday and Tuesday -- Students are encouraged to revise their pre assessment and resubmit.

Math

7- This week we finished up the last investigations of our current unit. These involved order of operation, distributive property, and the application of the skills from this unit to word problems. Next week we will be reviewing a unit assessment planned for Thursday.

8- This week we explored modeling by creating lines of best fit for different data plots, developed different strategies for finding the equation of a line between two given points, and in a technology based activity, applied our understanding of linear models to predict the amount of time it takes to charge a phone battery. Next week we will be doing to some small group work to extend individuals understanding of linear relationships and modeling and problem solving.

Science

7 - Students switched formats a bit this week - interpreting interactive digital models of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to help them visualize these microscopic processes. They also conducted an experiment to look for evidence of photosynthesis using a chemical indicator that changes color in the presence of carbon dioxide! They will complete a final assessment for this unit next week.

8 - Students completed a mini-research project on a mineral of their choosing. They focused on the physical and chemical properties of this mineral, as well as how it is used by society. They constructed “mineral cubes”, which are hanging from the classroom ceiling and display the results of their research! Next week will include one final assessment on molecular structures before the end of the trimester.

SS

7 - Students finished up their assessment for the culture unit; these projects will be available mid-week for families to see what is the “culture” of our students. We will take a break this coming week to work on the first phase of the Sovereign State Activity, which will involve a deeper dive into geography and natural resources.

8 - Students have been practicing A LOT of inquiry over the last few weeks; all has been in preparation for the district assessment next week and to be more critical, thoughtful citizens:). The district assessment will have the students apply their analysis of historical documents, maps and discussions to create an argument about the American Revolution’s roots. Please be checking with your child about their level of preparation and focus for this final assessment.

Looks like we’ll be embracing winter again next week. If you have not received an emergency test (phone call or email) from the district, please contact Central Office: 434-2128.

The Fusion Team

Fusion Communication: November 2

Hi all,

It has been a couple of weeks since the last communication - and what a busy two weeks it’s been. A field trip to Canada, end of fall sports, rain never ending, and many assessments. The next two weeks represent the end of the trimester… which means assessments galore and grades closing. Good time to check in about assignments, have a Schoology sit down. Most students will need a look at school supplies - one thing most are missing: earbuds/headphones.

Montreal Field Trip - Thanks and it went very smoothlyThanks to the following for chaperoning: Elizabeth and Larry Lamphere, Heidi Little, Jennifer and Luke Roberge, Stephanie Sleeper, Allison Surks, Lee Rosen, Katherine and Paul Strek, Lisa Lavoie, Mat Zimmerman, Gina Howard, Suzanne Harvey, Laura Hill, Tamra Yandow and our wonderful support staff of Kim Bouffard, and Penny Kellner.

Trip went exceedingly well - your children were a delight, the border crossings were (almost) boring, and there were many stories of students learning a little more about life beyond our walls.

Laptops should be at school over the weekend:)

Calendar:
November 14: Delayed Start

November 19-23: School Break (teacher inservice Nov. 19-20)

November 30: First ⅞ Dance of the year! Woot!

November 30 (tentative): 7th Grade field trip to International Festival

December 3-7: 1st Trimester Report Cards released

December 12: Delayed Start

December 24-28: No School - break

January 2, 2019(!): School resumes

January 9: Delayed Start

Curriculum Updates
LA
Students should be reading 30 mins a day outside of class (study hall is fine).
7-  Realistic Fiction stories are due NEXT Friday!
8-  Position Papers are due NEXT Friday! Revised research notes are due by the end of class on Monday.

Math
7- We are well into our unit on operations with rational numbers. This past week we transitioned from addition and subtraction to developing rules for multiplication and division. Next week we put all of our learning from this unit together when evaluating more complex expressions using order of operations. We will be finishing up the investigations for this unit next week, and will plan to have an end of unit assessment the week before Thanksgiving break.

8- We started a new unit this week, Thinking with Mathematical Models. This unit builds on their understanding of linear relationships from the previous unit and has them apply it to creating models for real world data. It also introduces a new type of function, inverse variation. This week we performed two experiments with paper bridges, one looking at the relationship between the thickness and the strength (linear relationship) and one looking at the relationship between bridge length and strength (inverse variation). Next week, students will explore how they can models to demonstrate how they visuals patterns of growth as well . Also, students will be receiving feedback next week on their assessment from the previous unit.

Science
7 - During the last 2 weeks, students focused on the importance of water to plants. They learned how water: enters plant root cells through osmosis; travels up the plant through xylem tissue; is used in leaf chloroplasts to make glucose during photosynthesis; and exits the leaf through the stoma under the leaves! They used microscopes to search for stoma and guard cells on the house plant on my desk! As you know, they also created models of a plant leaf cell, highlighting key cell structures and focusing in on the cell membrane. This week, they used their models to explain how cell organelles work together as a system to help the leaf cell perform its main job: photosynthesis.

8 - Students began the Properties of Matter unit with a multi-day mystery mixture investigation. Students looked closely at 9 different substances, and mixed combinations of these, trying to determine which combination matched a mystery mixture. Students submitted their final claim and evidence chart last week. This week, students focused on describing different examples of matter using physical properties. They spent two days examining the color, luster, hardness, and streak color of different mineral samples. They are now learning about the elements that make up these minerals. Next week, students will research one particular mineral, while also practicing making models of different molecules and compounds.

SS
7 - Students are in the thick of the final assessment for the Culture Unit: My Culture or the going beyond level, Humans of Vermont. The focus has been on supporting student needs - further understandings about the role of government in our lives, how belief systems/religion shape our day to day decisions.

• My Culture (Overview Video)
• Humans of Vermont (Overview Video)

The lead up to the Montreal trip demanded the students do planning for the Tour Guide presentation for the city walk, as well as develop maps and plans for the Small Group Excursion through the city.

8 - Students are practicing A LOT of inquiry skills right now - here is an example of some of the work they are doing. The class swings back and forth from the current events of national debt, racial, ethnic and religious tensions of today, which are compared to the time of rising tensions in the American colonies before the Revolution. The lead up to the Montreal trip demanded the students do planning for the Tour Guide presentation for the city walk, as well as develop maps and plans for the Small Group Excursion through the city.

Sloppy, cold, wet days on the playground - thanks for making sure students are ready to be outside.

The Fusion Team