What a beautiful week! There were even three birthdays that were celebrated! The MS is taking advantage of all of the nice fall weather until we are too cold to stay out for long in the winter months. We are so lucky to have been able to spend half of our day on Thursday outside at both the Stream Study and the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Also, 8th-grade Leadership baked over 80 Snickerdoodle cookies for Oktoberfest (and some to share with their classmates). Here’s a quick class update:

Humanities

In grades 6 & 7 Humanities, students presented their research about the dynasties of China. The classes made connections over time, and they spent some time exploring the innovations, architecture, and art that were developed in China during the times of the dynasties. Additionally, they completed their first class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka! They ended the week in student-led, small group discussions using questions they developed in the final chapters of the book.

The 8th-grade Humanities class has been learning about the notion of “first contact” between Indigenous Americans and Europeans. They learned that there were many “first contacts,” as there were over 1,000 tribal nations, and they took place over the course of about 200 years. They honed in on some of the explorers during the Age of Exploration and briefly learned of some of their journeys. Unsurprisingly, the main motivator for European exploration was gold and riches. Additionally, 8th-grade students are in various places in their personal memoir essays. It is amazing to see how each student has learned about themselves as writers and has a unique process they use when drafting. Upon their draft completion, students will self-edit and revise and, with peers (if they choose), conference with Mrs. Lamb, and complete a final revision.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students worked on identifying place values in a decimal number. They were given a helpful place value tool, which helped them build their confidence in reading decimal numbers aloud. They also practiced comparing and ordering decimals, fractions, and percents from least to greatest. Students learned how to multiply decimals by multiples of 10, as well as by fractions such as 1/10, 1/100, etc. We wrapped up the week by learning to round decimals to the nearest, next, or preceding place value.

Here are some upcoming announcements:

• Tuesday, 10/14: Middle School Picture Day
• Thank you for your attention to the MS Flower Schedule
• Thursday, 10/16: Catherine Violet Hubbard Stream Study & Sanctuary Visit. Here is the Permission Form that can be printed and signed. Hard copies are available at school. PLEASE read this for the attire needed for this visit.
• Friday, 10/24: Conference Day for students, parents, and teachers.  They are available in the SignUps Module on MyFWM. Some teachers have availability earlier in the week as well.
• SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:00-8:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night
  

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This week, Middle School students had an exciting day filled with teamwork, courage, and outdoor fun at the Adventure Park at The Discover Museum! Students couldn’t wait to explore the ropes courses, zip lines, and challenging elements waiting among the trees. The park encouraged everyone to step out of their comfort zones while working together to problem-solve and support one another. Whether it was cheering on a classmate who was nervous about a tall obstacle or celebrating after completing a tricky course, the sense of teamwork and encouragement was incredible to see. Students learned valuable lessons about communication, perseverance, and trust, all while having a blast! It was wonderful to see them challenge themselves, take risks, and realize just how much they are capable of when they put their minds to it.

Hope you’ve had a great week!

Here are some upcoming announcements:

• PLEASE CHECK FLOWER SCHEDULE: When it is your flower week, please arrive closer to 8am in order to prepare flowers for the MS classrooms. Thank you for your attention to this!
• Tuesday, 10/7: Team Building day @ The Adventure Park. 9 am-2 pm. Please sign the waiver here and pack a lunch with snacks. Closed-toed sneakers needed (no Crocs).
• Thursday, 10/16: Catherine Violet Hubbard Stream Study & Sanctuary Visit. Here is the Permission Form that can be printed and signed. Hard copies are available at school. PLEASE read this for the attire needed for this visit.
• Friday, 10/24: Conference Day for students, parents, and teachers. Look for school communication for Sign Up Links. They will be available in the SignUps Module on MyFWM. Some teachers have availability earlier in the week as well.
• SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

8th Grade Leadership

8th grade students had another high school visit on Tuesday. They gave a tour to visitors from Henry Abbott Technical School in Danbury this week and also listened to a presentation given by Ms. V and students currently studying there. It was great to hear from the upperclassmen as they gave honest and informative information to the students.

The 8th grade Leadership team also completed the design for this year’s annual FWM sweatshirt in time for the chilly days of fall! Come to Oktoberfest on 10/18 to see the design. First orders will be taken that day as well!

Humanities

This week, grades 6 & 7 continued to read in their class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break.  Students are having thoughtful conversations surrounding the plot of the novel, as well as the historical and cultural aspects of living in China during the Cultural Revolution. Students also worked on researching an assigned dynasty of Imperial China. They are creating a portion of a presentation that will be given as a whole class.

8th grade Humanities students began the week by reading and discussing the impact of gold on the Indigenous Nations in North America, as well as tribal sovereignty. Additionally, they read the poem “Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye and used this poem to discuss the definition of “fame” and come up with their own examples of fame using Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem as inspiration. Feel free to click and read the piece to perhaps consider “fame” from a different perspective. Finally, 8th grade students reviewed the following writing mini-lessons (originally developed by Nanci Atwell) that they must consider when composing their own personal memoirs: The Rule of Thoughts and Feelings, The Rule of So What?, and The Rule of Write About a Pebble. They will begin their drafts next week after brainstorming their piece.

Math

Students in Pre-Transition, Transition, Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II had a lively and engaging start to the week with a fun Chapter 1 review game called “Trashketball.” The classes were split into teams, and for each correct answer, students earned the chance to take a shot with a crumpled piece of paper into the trash can to score points for their team. The game brought energy, teamwork, and plenty of laughter while helping students review key concepts from Chapter 1. Following the review, all five courses took their respective Chapter 1 Test to demonstrate their understanding of the material covered so far. The week concluded with a Chapter 2 Scavenger Hunt, where students previewed upcoming topics in an interactive way. The activity set the stage for the next unit and sparked enthusiasm for the material ahead.

Science

This week, Middle School students were able to start the week with their first Quiz, containing 10 questions about basic concepts of science and the Scientific Method. The Knowledge of the Scientific Method is very important because it will be used throughout the year to write laboratory reports for every experiment that we will be doing in science class.

In addition, Middle School Students got the guidelines for the Science Fair this year, which will be on November 5th. Students are brainstorming ideas for experiments for the Fair.

Also, they are reading and comprehending Science articles. The articles are assigned every Monday, and the comprehension questions are turned in every Friday. The goal of reading is that students become more familiar with learning about new findings and new scientific words. Currently, we are still working on writing our first Lab report (Penny Lab) and focusing on the understanding of the formulation of the Hypothesis and Conclusion.

Hope you’ve had a great week! We had our first rainy day since school started, so we enjoyed an indoor lunch and games on Thursday. We also had our first High School visit this year. Westover School spoke to our female students about life and academics on its campus.

Here are some upcoming announcements:

• Tuesday, 10/7: Team Building day @ The Adventure Park. 9 am-2 pm. Please sign the waiver here and pack a lunch with snacks. Closed-toed sneakers needed (no Crocs).
• Thursday, 10/16: Catherine Violet Hubbard Stream Study & Sanctuary Visit. Permission forms will go home next week.  PLEASE read this for the attire needed for this visit.
• SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

Science

This week, Middle School students were able to start the week working on Unit Conversions. In the science world, Unit Conversions are basic, so scientists can communicate their findings around the world. 6^th and 7^th graders started with unit conversions within the Imperial System, and 8^th Graders started their unit conversion between Imperial and International System.

Also, this week, Middle School students were able to apply all that they have learned about the Scientific Method this year. They did their first lab called Penny Lab. In this lab, students were able to learn about a few properties of water, knowing that water is a universal solvent and is very important for life. The properties of water mentioned in this lab are cohesion, adhesion, and superficial tension. Students were able to start to write a lab report sheet, where they had to predict which side of the Penny would hold a greater number of drops of water before spilling over. All students were able to write their main question and hypothesis. To write the hypothesis, students were able to recognize the independent variable, dependent variable, and controlled variables of the Penny Lab. They also learned the difference between the Experimental group and the Control group. The recognition of these variables and groups is the core of every experiment. Students are still working on their lab report.

Math

Transition: This week, the Transition class continued their learning of Chapter 1 concepts. Students can now write numbers and products in scientific notation, and know about other grouping symbols in the order of operations. This class learned about the structure of the coordinate grid and how to represent data on it, and they can interpret data from a scatterplot. This class closed out the week reviewing these foundational concepts, will continue to review on Monday, and will take the Chapter 1 Assessment on Tuesday, September 30.

Humanities

This week, the 6th and 7th grade groups dove into their class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka. This novel follows the fall of the Qing Dynasty and movement away from traditions such as Chinese foot binding. Students were quite curious about this form of body modification and learned more about the practice and history behind it. They are relieved to know it is a thing of the past for women in East Asia. Additionally, students read Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to the Apple.” They discussed the purpose of an ode and composed their own versions using objects in and around school. This assignment builds upon the usage of figurative language and strong word choice in writing pieces.

8th-grade Humanities classes completed a variety of items this week. First, they continue to learn about Indigenous America. They focused on the value of land and stewardship by Indigenous groups. This led them to question, Who are the stewards in the US currently? What responsibilities do individuals and different groups have for maintaining land resources for the citizens of the US? For Poetry Tuesday, the class read Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” and even listened to an audio of his recitation of the piece. While at first they weren’t sure what to make of the poem, with some guided questions, they were able to develop meaning and have a profound discussion about boundaries and borders. The 8th grade is also beginning to look at personal narrative writing. Finally, students read two essays, one from a former student and another called “A Plate of Peas” by Rick Beyer. They analyzed these for meaning, and next week will identify the qualities in the writing that worked for them.

Happy Friday!

Here some upcoming announcements:

• Wednesday, 9/24 @ 8:15: HS Placement Meeting for 8th grade Parents
• Wednesday, 9/24@ 11am: Visit from Westover School for MS girls
• Thursday, 9/25 @ 5:30: Curriculum Night (adult-only event)
• SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

It was a great week, and we enjoyed being outdoors for a half-day trip to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary and neighboring stream for a stream study.

At CVH, half of the Middle School took a tour of the property including the garden, pollinator meadows, apiary, and learning barn. Then, Mr. Frisk taught students how to identify four types of native CT pollinator plants that are part of the CT NOFA Ecotype Project. They harvested seed from these plants, labeled them, and brought them back to school where they will be further shelled for making seed packets.

The other half of the MS participated in a riffle bioassessment study. This hands-on experience gave them the chance to become scientists for the day and learn more about the health of our local waterways.

Students collected kicks from the Benthic Zone of the Pootatuck River, transferring what they gathered into trays for closer observation. From there, they searched for different macroinvertebrate larvae, spotting creatures such as dobsonflies, dragonflies, mayflies, and caddisflies. After sorting the larvae into compartments, students used an identification chart to determine which species they had found.

One of the most fascinating parts of the study was learning about which species are most “wanted,” since their presence indicates clean, healthy waters. Finally, students selected a few samples of each species and prepared them to be shipped off to the State of Connecticut for further study.

The trip ended with a guided hike for the full Middle School with Laura King from CVH. She spoke about host plants, invasive species, and the disruption they can cause in an ecosystem.

This trip was not only fun, but also a meaningful way to see how scientists monitor the environment and why protecting our rivers matters.

Classes this week:

Humanities

The 6th and 7th grade classes took a tour of many of the provinces and Administrative Regions of the Republic of China. By using Google Earth, the classes could focus on a few each day and “visit” cities, rural towns, and beautiful terrain. They observed geographical features that affect population, discussed placements of towns and cities, and made observations about architecture. An additional item students brought up is the potential cultural differences that can exist in one country, depending on where individuals live. On Poetry Tuesday, the classes read and analyzed “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye, developing individual meaning, identifying important verses, and choosing lines that spoke to them. Finally, in preparation for students beginning their first novel, <em> Ties That Bind, Ties That Break</em> on Monday, the class went over some of the important terms and ideas that will come up in their study of China.

The 8th-grade class completed their research and presented their work to each other about the following pre-contact civilizations of the Americas: Olmec, Maya, Inca, Aztec, Mississippian, and Ancestral Puebloan. While these are not the only civilizations in existence before European contact in the Americas, it is important to note the advancements, including mathematical, astrological, agricultural, governmental, societal, and the established infrastructure of the land. To that extent, students read and annotated an excerpt titled, “Follow the Corn” from <em>An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People</em> by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz that speaks about the importance of land and corn to the area that is now the United States. They then wrote about how the landscape of what is now the US does not match the settler-colonial narrative of a “vast and empty landscape” that is sometimes portrayed by European explorers. Finally, on Poetry Tuesday, the class read Joy Harjo’s “Perhaps The World Ends Here”. Students discussed the symbolism of the kitchen table and identified the “kitchen table” in their homes.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, the class completed the Chapter 1 quiz and kept moving forward with new fraction skills! They worked on writing equivalent fractions, explored how fractions represent division, and practiced rewriting improper fractions as mixed numbers. Everyone did a great job building on what they’ve already learned and connecting new ideas together.

Transition: This week in Transition Math, students completed their Chapter 1 quiz on Tuesday before moving on to new concepts. They worked on understanding powers of 10, including converting between powers, word names for numbers, and decimals. Students also practiced multiplying by powers of 10 and began learning about the order of operations, setting the stage for more complex problem-solving ahead.

Algebra: This week in Algebra, students completed their Chapter 1 quiz and then continued with their learning of Chapter 1 concepts. They explored how to use graphs to determine if two expressions appear to be equivalent and practiced plotting ordered pairs on a coordinate grid. Students also worked with absolute value and distance, developing their ability to evaluate expressions that involve absolute value.

Geometry: This week in Geometry, students completed their Chapter 1 quiz and then began working with foundational ideas in geometry. They learned about the meaning of postulates and theorems, practiced using geometric notation, and examined the role of undefined terms. Students also found the point of intersection of two lines and applied the properties of betweenness and the triangle inequality postulate to strengthen their understanding of geometric relationships.

Algebra II: This week in Algebra II, students completed the Chapter 1 quiz and continued building on key algebraic ideas. They learned how to determine whether a given relation is a function, identify the domain and range of a function, and create graphs and tables using the Desmos online graphing calculator. Students practiced reading tables and explored the meaning of discrete versus continuous data. In addition, they worked on solving and checking linear equations to reinforce their problem-solving skills.

Science

This week, middle school students learned more in detail about the scientific method steps, such as observation, research, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion, and sharing results. With these fundamental concepts, students are getting ready to use them in their own experiments for the Science Fair (November 5th). In addition, 6^th and 7^th graders were introduced to some common laboratory materials used in general, chemical, and physical laboratories. Likewise, 8^th graders also learned the proper names of the laboratory equipment in general, physical, chemical and biology laboratory equipment. All levels are now being introduced into basic math use in science. Lastly, middle school students really enjoyed the videos used in class because they helped them to understand the main concepts better.

Welcome to the 2025-26 Middle School! It has been so nice to see everyone and have our group come together. We love having our incoming 6th graders and new students join the dynamic as if they have been here all along.

The weekly blog is a great way to find upcoming Middle School announcements and read about what is going on in some of their classes.

Here is what is coming up:

• Wednesday, 9/17 8:45 am-12:15 pm: Field Experience w/ Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Please review the email sent on 9/11, complete the permission form, and view your child’s group for attire.
• Thursday, 9/25 @ 5:30: Curriculum Night (adult-only event)
• SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

Humanities

Grades 6 & 7 Humanities classes began by reviewing the year ahead. Next, students presented their summer reading work to their class. It was impressive to hear about all the wonderful books that were read. We all received some great recommendations! Each year, Humanities classes begin with Identity. The classes read the poem, “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon, and composed their own drafts inspired by the original. Afterwards, they reviewed strategies to enhance their pieces by examining descriptive writing, including word choice, figurative language (such as simile, metaphor, and personification), and imagery. Some students have begun the editing and revising process of their poetry using these techniques. Next week, they will complete this initial writing piece about themselves.

The 8th-grade Humanities class also began the year by reviewing what’s ahead. They also presented their summer work on one fiction and one nonfiction book. The students read some impressive novels. The 8th grade also began the year with identity, but more specifically, American identity. Looking at a multicultural and diverse human landscape, they read about and discussed what this means. Students began reading the young adult version of Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror. Finally, students ended the week by researching pre-contact civilizations in the Americas.

Science

FWM Middle School students had a very exciting start to the year. Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade classes started with general introductory Science concepts that are going to be used to understand science. The purpose of this week was to understand the very basic meaning of the common vocabulary for science class throughout the year. In addition, students had a broad introduction to the scientific method, which is a systematic process that scientists use to do research based on observation and data analysis to explain and test answers to questions that originated in nature. Also, students participated in class activities and classwork to help them understand these concepts. Additionally, students learned about observations, types of observation, data, types of data, what a hypothesis is, experiment, variables, types of variables, and their importance in Science. At the end of the week, Middle School students learned General Laboratory Safety Rules.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, students dove headfirst into Chapter 1 titled “Some Uses of Integers and Fractions.” Students can now write word names for decimals, indicate parts of trips completed as points on a line segment, and measure and draw lengths in customary units. They will take the Chapter 1 Quiz on Tuesday, September 16th, which will cover material from lessons 1-1 through 1-4.

Be on lookout for Summer Learning Resources, which will include summer assignments, that will be sent out soon!

Wow! What a busy last week of Middle School! It started with Field Day on Monday. Middle School students were divided into multi-age color teams for a day full of activities. 8th grade began the day as the Captains of the Primary color teams as they completed their activities. Afterwards, they competed in races, relays, tug-of-war, and even a dance off before the Green Team was announced the winning team. A competitive Middle School vs. Faculty dodgeball game ended the day.

On Wednesday, the 6th and 7th grade students gave a Farewell to the Class of 2025. They planned the event, including a heartfelt speech they wrote acknowledging each graduate, personalized superlative awards, graduation caps, 8th-grade Jeopardy, and a poetry reading. A memorable slideshow highlighting the 8th graders over the years added a special touch to the evening.

On Thursday, 8th graders, their families, friends, and teachers gathered at the Newtown Meetinghouse for the Commencement Ceremony. Students read original speeches and then had their teachers pay tribute to them with words honoring their time at Fraser Woods. Diplomas were awarded, some tears were shed, and cupcakes were consumed. It was a lovely evening.

The last day of school included a new school-wide event: Moving Up Ceremony. While all students were part of the festivities acknowledging those students moving up levels at FWM, the 8th grade was able to take the chance to say goodbye to all of their younger peers.

The Middle School team wants to thank all of the families for their support and trust this year. We are truly lucky!

Announcements for the week ahead:

• Week of 6/2: Spirit Week-      Monday, 6/2: Field Day
  Tuesday, 6/3: Sports Day (Wear your favorite sports jersey/team shirt/uniform/medal)
  Wednesday, 6/4: Beach Day (Beach-themed clothing and accessories)
  **Weather permitting, we will also have water fun at the end of the day. Swim suits, towels, and water squirters will all be permitted!**
  Thursday, 6/5: Pajama Day
  Friday, 6/6: Red Carpet Day (Time to dress up for the end of school)
• Wed., 6/4 @ 5 pm: Farewell to the Class of 2025. An event hosted by 6th and 7th-grade students to honor their graduating classmates. Please plan on attending with your student(s)
• Thurs., 6/5 @ 5pm: 8th Grade Graduation For 8th grade families and friends at the Newtown Meetinghouse
• Fri., 6/6: Last Day of School/Dismissal @ 11:30 am

It was an amazing week traveling with the Middle School to New York City and Philadelphia. There were many firsts for our students, from the first Broadway show to riding a trolley. In addition to walking 15+ miles over 4 days, here’s a list of the fun places where students traveled:

• American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium
• Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where we heard Broadway-quality singing right at our tables
• Wicked at the Gershwin Theater
• Times Square at night for photos
• Times Square for shopping on our second day
• Reading Terminal Market for delicious food (including cheesesteaks)
• Guided Evening Tour of Philadelphia
• Philadelphia Zoo
• The Franklin Institute and its special exhibit, BODY WORLDS: Vital
• Landmarks include the Rocky Steps, the LOVE Sculpture, Independence Hall, & the Liberty Bell
• Phillies Game @ Citizens Bank Park
• National Constitution Center

The benefits of allowing adolescents to have experiences such as riding public transportation, being responsible for their own belongings, making purchases, budgeting money, and sharing a hotel room with others are some of the best ways to learn important life skills. Some of those are flexibility, patience, promptness, responsibility, perseverance, and both independence and interdependence.

We are grateful to have the opportunity to travel with your children. Thank you for all the support (and yummy snacks!) to make this trip possible.