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Middle School: Feeling Like Fall

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Happy Friday, everyone! Another busy and beautiful week has gone by. Here is what the Middle School is up to!

**NOTE: The weather is turning cooler, and we still plan to spend just as much time outside! Please ensure your child is dressed for the season!

Math
This week in math class all groups concluded their study of chapter 1.
The Pre-Transition class has been focused on practicing effective study techniques in order to help them stay organized and feel prepared for their first summative assessment. This class learned all about using fractions in the real world, identifying integers, ordering fractions, and converting between mixed and improper fractions. The Transition class has been focused on solving order of operations questions, identifying the base and exponent in a power, and practicing how to write a large value in scientific notation. The Algebra class has been working on describing patterns using variables, evaluating similar expressions through Desmos, and solving absolute value problems that involve substitution. The Geometry class has been learning about graph theory, Euclidean geometry, and the betweenness postulates and theorems.
There is no Tuesday after school help this year. Please encourage students to email Ms. Sutherland in the evenings if they need assistance.
Mathy Joke for Mathy Folks:  Who is in charge of the pencil case? ….The Ruler!
Science
6th year Earth Science students have finished building and designing their fossils made from plaster and resin as part of their unit on fossils. Students made impressions in clay using a variety of objects from home and nature. These impressions resulted in a mold which they later poured plaster in to make a cast. Students were then asked to paint their fossils and create a story, depicting how their fossil was created using terminology introduced from their tech-book.
7th year Physical Science students have been gathering information through a variety of resources which support how the separation and mixture process is a part of our everyday lives. Students conducted a report and presentation on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 and how garbage companies and sewer treatment plants continue to apply methods and techniques of separation.
8th year Physical Science students are beginning to research their side to debate the usage of stem cells. Students will be required to provide a claim, warrant, and impact, supporting their cause on the topic. Upon completion of their research, each side will state their case in the form of a debate.
Humanities
It was a current events week for all! There were many exciting topics and discussions. Mrs. Lamb is proud of all of the mature discussions, especially from the 6th years as they presented their first-ever current events topics.
This week, 6th years continued their exploration into Mexican culture by learning about the value of food (corn as a crucial ingredient and the importance of preparation). They also learned about various art forms, especially from Oaxaca, including textiles, metal work, and Alebrijes (wood carvings). They also learned even more about Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes). With writing, the students worked on identifying main ideas and summarizing nonfiction text. They also wrote their own William Carlos Williams-inspired poetry after reading “The Red Wheelbarrow” and a few of his other poems. They learned that inspiration can come from what is right in front of us.
7th years continued their study of China. This week, students particularly focused on the Qing Dynasty (the last Chinese dynasty to rule). They learned about the Opium Wars, Taiping Rebellion, and the Boxer Rebellion. As they move into the Republic of China and People’s Republic of China, students are learning about the economic systems of Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism. 7th year students also read Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to the Apple” and wrote their own odes to everyday objects. This was especially fun because students wanted to share their poems anonymously and have their classmates guess which was theirs. They were surprised and impressed by each other’s writing styles!
Finally, 8th years began both A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America and An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young Readers. They studied theories of human migration, early American civilizations and nations (Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs, Mound Builders, Puebloans), and the idea of the master narrative. We discussed what it looks like to be an American and defined appropriation.
We hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Getting Into the Swing of Things!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Each of us, as parents, are filled with many emotions about the beginning of a new school year!  This year, we were aware of protocols that needed to be in place in order to ensure everyone’s safety. Some of us may have had concerns about the ‘what if’s’ and exactly what the day would look like.

It is with great excitement (and relief) that I share with you, those concerns are only on the adults’ minds!  The children enter the classroom each morning, ready to learn, laugh, and love.  To see their smiles, hear their laughter, and observe their desire to absorb new knowledge is very heartwarming. The routines of our days are running smoothly and create a calm environment. We are happy to see new friendships developing and others deepening.

Many of you may grimace at the phrase “a new normal” as much as I do; there really is no “new normal” though. Our classroom is a community of young children, growing together and truly getting the most out of each day. I love the “bubble” we have created and am so grateful to be on this journey with each and every child. Thank you for trusting us on this uncharted journey!!

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Michelle & Lizette

Mrs. Lopes’ Class: Enjoying the Small Moments

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

 

As I reflected on this week with your children, I smiled thinking about all the unexpected small moments of joy that happen when you are surrounded by young observers. It is so wonderful to watch our classroom community building and the children growing more comfortable in the environment and with each other.

This week we focused on the life cycle of an apple and the parts of an apple. We also enjoyed an apple tasting where we discussed how not all apples taste the same. It was interesting to watch the children react to the taste of each kind of apple and describe how they looked and tasted different. We heard words such as “crunchy,” “juicy,” “sour,” and my personal favorite, “It tastes like cotton candy!”  At the end of the tasting, each child got to vote for their favorite…Honeycrisp won!  To continue with our apple theme, we learned two fun apple songs together this week. I will share the songs at the end of this post if you would like to have your child sing and share them with you this weekend.

Our most exciting news this week was an unexpected surprise we found on the playground Wednesday morning. While the children played in the sandbox, we saw baby turtles crawling out of a hole in the sand and soon realized we were observing them hatching! We were all amazed and delighted to watch the babies crawl through the sandbox, into the grass, and on to their next destination.

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Warmly,

Mrs. Lopes and Mrs. Sharlene

 

Busy Week

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

This week we started preparing for our creation story with some science demonstrations. The purpose of these demonstrations is to illustrate concepts explored through the story of the creation of the universe. The creation story provides an impressionistic demonstration of the origins of life. The story is designed to impart a sense of wonder and awe, to instill respect for all that has happened, and to ignite interest in scientific investigation.

We have been lucky to have such beautiful weather this week! It’s beginning to feel like fall, and we are loving it. Each morning, when the weather permits, we start with recess on the field. Some activities the children enjoy partaking in during the morning movement are soccer, jumping rope, walking laps, and playing make believe. This is a vital part of the day, to get the body moving before a busy day of work ahead.

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Falling Back into Spanish

Posted on by Sara Hall

 

We’ve had a strong start to Spanish classes this year at FWM. 

From primary to middle school, all students have returned to Spanish classes eager to continue along their language acquisition journey. Using a comprehensible input approach, students hear and read in the language each class period. We are building vocabulary and practicing using words within target structures for each unit. Our storytelling and role playing offer a compelling experience within the classroom for students to remain engaged and feel the joy of learning. Students new to FWM or to Spanish are already immersing themselves in the experience as we work to acquire the language together. 

September 15th kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month, as multiple countries celebrated their independence days. We tie Hispanic culture into our lessons in Spanish regularly. If you’re looking for ways at home to connect with the LatinX community, check out Yale’s Fiesta-Latina, with virtual events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month between now and 10/15 2020: https://peabody.yale.edu/events/fiesta-latina. 

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Love of Learning

Posted on by Karen Sankey

We’ve had another productive week in Upper El. We chose our books for Literature Circles. Fourth grade will read The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo and fifth grade will read Holes by Louis Sachar. The kids are excited about their books and many have already read well past the first assignment. They will be gathering twice a week to discuss their assigned pages. They will have assigned roles each week with tasks to complete before coming to Literature Circle. Assigning roles gives young readers the framework for a multi-faceted interpretation of literature. Eventually the children will spontaneously incorporate the roles into their literary discussions and when they do that, they will no longer need assigned roles.

Grammar lessons this week focused on adverbial extensions for fourth grade. They learned to take a simple sentence with a predicate and a subject, and, by asking the questions: when, why, where, and how, make the sentence more complex. The fifth grade focused on the advanced function of words. One example of this work using nouns is sorting words into the categories of plurals, possessives, common, proper, abstract, and collective. Over the next few weeks they will be working their way through similar work with adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and interjections.

In geometry lessons the fourths learned about the seven triangles of reality and worked on sorting triangles from our plane inset cabinet into the proper place on a grid based on the sides (equilateral, isosceles, scalene) and angles (right, acute, obtuse) of each triangle. The fifths learned about proving the equivalence of a trapezoid and a rectangle.

Continuing with our lessons on the vital functions of plants, this week we learned about the needs of the plant. We had a great discussion about the origins of the 2,500 year old theory that everything is composed of a combination of four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. We discovered that, although this theory is from long ago, there is truth to it. We discussed that plants need sun (fire), air, water, and earth (minerals) to survive.

We kicked off a series of geography lessons focusing on the Work of Air with an experiment proving that air occupies space. Each student will have the opportunity over the next week to use the materials and try the experiment out for themself.

Many of the children have already been hard at work researching topics of their own choice. Today, three of them presented their research to the class. This is work they are very enthusiastic about and they will have the opportunity to continue to research topics of interest throughout the year, presenting as they are ready.

Please remind your child to wear something BLUE on Monday, September 21 to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace.  Blue is the universal color of peace.

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: The Three Period Lesson

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

When we introduce new concepts or materials to the children, we often do so using a three-period lesson. This is an important tenet of Montessori education and it helps to move the child from basic understanding of a concept to mastery.

Period One is the introduction stage. In this stage we are isolating new vocabulary to the children. For example, if we are introducing the color tablets, we say, “This is blue.”  Repeating that statement and allowing the child to manipulate the blue color tablet are crucial during this stage.

Period Two is all about association and recognition. It is often a separate lesson. We do not ask the children to remember the vocabulary or recall the concept.  We are simply reinforcing the concept taught in Period One. We use words such as “Show me the blue tablet,” or “Can you place the blue tablet on your lap?”

Period Three is the recall stage and the first time we ask the child to remember the concept independently. We ask them “What is this?” when showing them the blue color tablet. We are careful not to begin Period Three until we know they are ready for success.

Every time a child masters a new concept it paves the way to move towards another one.

If you would like to access your child’s weekly schedule, including enrichment classes, you can do so on myfwm.org. Go to the Parents module and select Student Schedules. If you have more than one child at FWM, you can access all from this one location using the drop down menu.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Michelle & Lizette

Middle School: Highlight on Advisory

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Happy Friday! This week sure flew by. The Middle School teachers want to give you a snapshot of what middle school advisory looks like on each level. Also, enjoy this week’s photos!

6th Year Advisory: Forming the Middle School Group

The 6th year advisory period consists of building a strong community and trust among one another. In order to achieve this vision of community and trust for the year, students have shared questions and concerns they face throughout their transition into middle school. Discussions consisting of how to balance homework, prioritizing time efficiently, and respecting peers have been covered in Advisory. Mr. Brown makes the students’ transitions into middle school as comforting as possible while promoting their accountability as students, peers, and members of the community.

In addition to using activities in the Responsive Advisory Curriculum, Mr. Brown forms the 6th grade group in creative ways. One example is Student Scrabble. 6th years used a Scrabble board to connect the students’ names. Then, almost like a crossword puzzle, the group develops a unique clue representing each of their personalities. Each student provides something different about one another to help develop their clues. Once everyone finishes their boards, they attempt to solve them as a class. It is nice to see how some students are surprised to find some characteristics of themselves others saw in them.

It is clear that 6th Year Advisory is a crucial component to this important transition that students go through from elementary to middle school.

7th Year Advisory: Community Development

Each day, the 7th year students with Ms. Sutherland have a new topic to help them get to know each other as community members and practice sharing kindness at FWM.  Students are assigned a role each week and rotate through responsibilities. The following are the topic titles for each day of the school week and an example of what they have already explored:

Monday (Weekend Update) – Students share news stories and current events about what is happening in the world. The advisory has already talked about the ongoing progression of COVID-19, how sports games are affected by living in a bubble, and favorite local restaurants in Newtown.

Tuesday (Talk it Out Tuesday) – Students bring forward an open question that will spark conversation about how to be good community members and spread kindness towards others. They have discussed how stress affects them in middle school, their greatest accomplishments, and what their favorite movies were over the summer.

Wednesday (Work it Wednesday) – Students initiate a physical activity to start the morning advisory group. This is a chance to be creative together and play a fun game in hopes of building friendships among peers. They have practiced morning yoga, tried a 4 minute gym workout routine, and followed along in Simon Says.

Thursday (Life on the Outside) – Students have an opportunity to share a skill or talent they practice outside of school. So far, they have learned different ballet positions and how to throw a spiral football.

Friday (Fun Fridays) – Students can decompress from the busy school week and reflect on how they are feeling. They have talked about our highlights and our lowlights from the first few weeks back at school. They do this all while listening to fun music and enjoying each other’s company.

The ultimate goal for the 7th year advisory group this year is to build our kind community and be comfortable and confident working together.

8th Year Advisory

As 8th years, these are the oldest students at FWM. 8th Year Advisory is unique because it gives space for the eldest students to develop and run items like fundraisers, charitable events, Morning News, as well as discuss what is important in the school community and how they can be effective leaders.

This year, mornings are spent in many ways. First of all, they started the year discussing their goals. What do they wish to achieve as 8th years? How do they want others to view them? The following is the usual weekly schedule for Advisory. Check-ins and activities that strengthen the group will also occur during the week as needed.

Motivational Monday – Each Monday, students will listen/watch/chat with someone who inspires leadership and individuals to be their best selves. For example, on the first Monday, 8th years watched Nigerian American author Luvvie Ajayi talk about getting comfortable being uncomfortable, which motivates people to speak up or do something when they feel others are being treated unfairly. They then discuss and connect with the topic.

Make Peace Tuesday – Students have also begun reading Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World by Eric David Dawson as a guide to being leaders and change-makers in their school community. 

Leadership Wednesday – This is the time when 8th years will work on fundraising ideas and planning for events.

8th Grade News (Thursday & Friday) – Each week, 8th years also plan, write, and film the FWM News (formerly the Friday Morning Gathering) that will be viewed by students in Lower El, Upper El, and the rest of Middle School. 8th years have a vision for how they want the news to go this year, so they are working hard to execute their plan and get the first episode out. They are determined to continue this tradition despite restrictions on the students gathering. They have great spirit!

Without a doubt, Advisory is important to the whole Middle School community. Forming cohesive groups that communicate well and work consistently on their social emotional wellness is vital to adolescent development.

Have a Peaceful Weekend,

The MS Team