The first full week of May has passed in a flash. Next week is an exciting week for the Middle School as 8th grade students present their Expert Presentations, which concludes several months of research, writing, and developing their presentation. All Middle School students and families are welcome at this event. Additionally, we will wrap up next week with the Middle School Garden Party! See below for a link to the evite if you haven’t RSVPd for your student(s).

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

• MEDICAL FORMS FOR THE MS TRIP ARE NOW PAST DUE. Please turn in your forms ASAP. ALL students traveling must submit!
• Wed., 5/14 @ 6 pm: 8th Grade Expert Presentations Culmination of 8th Grade Research Projects. MS students are encouraged to attend.
• Fri., 5/16 @ 6:30-8:30pm: Middle School Spring Dance CLICK HERE to RSVP
• Fri., 5/23 @ 5pm: Spring Concert & Picnic
• Tues., 5/27-Fri., 5/30: MS Trip (Packing List and more info coming SOON)
• Week of 6/2: Spirit Week 
• Wed., 6/4 @ 5pm: 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

Humanities

6th grade Humanities classes are wrapping up one novel with a final writing piece and are already onto the next!  Students are in different stages of the writing process with their final essay about <em>The Egypt Game</em>. Their writing discusses the change throughout the plot of one of the protagonists, April. As they have been composing, they are now reading <em>Shooting Kabul</em> by N.H. Senzai. This novel begins in Afghanistan and follows an Afghani family fleeing the Taliban and seeking asylum in the United States in 2001.

7th grade Humanities classes spent the week learning about the Weimar Republic. During this time of history in Germany, we investigated the aftermath of the Treaty of Versailles, their attempt at Democracy, education, women’s rights, the economy (including hyperinflation and the Great Depression), and the antisemitic views of the region. This knowledge paves the way for learning about Hitler’s rise to power and its effects on the world. Next week, students will learn about this in addition to beginning the memoir, <em>Four Perfect Pebbles</em> by Marion Blumenthal Lazan. On Poetry Tuesday, the 7th grade lightened the mood after some heavy content by discussing the elements of children’s literature (particularly poetry) and composed their own poems targeted for a young audience. They had a great time composing and sharing!

The 8th grade is in the final stretch of their Expert Presentations! Students were making revisions, running through presentations with each other, and receiving additional feedback from Mrs. Lamb. Next week, they will be spending the beginning of the week with Mrs. Lamb rehearsing on stage in the gym, revising their essays, and setting up their Expert Tables.

Wow! What an incredible week! 

Before we get to Finding Nemo, Jr. and Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day, please take note of the important dates below (more details will follow): 

• MEDICAL FORMS FOR THE MS TRIP ARE NOW PAST DUE. Please turn in your forms ASAP. ALL students traveling must submit!
• Wed., 5/14 @ 6 pm: 8th Grade Expert Presentations Culmination of 8th Grade Research Projects. MS students are encouraged to attend
• Fri., 5/16 @ 6:30-8:30pm: Middle School Spring Dance 
• Fri., 5/23 @ 5pm: Spring Concert & Picnic
• Tues., 5/27-Fri., 5/30: MS Trip 
• Week of 6/2: Spirit Week 
• Wed., 6/4 @ 5pm: 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

Finding Nemo, Jr.

If you loved the MS performance, consider signing up for Mrs. Kirk’s Theater Intensive Program offered this summer in Session 3!! Click HERE to REGISTER!

After rehearsing for months in their Performing Arts classes with Mrs. Kirk, the Middle School students, along with their Upper Elementary peers, put on two fantastic performances. From the music to the set and the brightly colored costumes, the FWM school community was captivated by the student actors. While it was a product of hard work and dedication, MS students (and teachers) had a lot of fun as well! Thank you to the MS families for all of their support.

Grandparents & Special Friends’ Day

We enjoyed having guests visit the Middle School on Friday. After a few songs were performed by the Upper Elementary and Middle School, visitors headed to the MS classrooms for some rotating activities. They visited Math, Science, Humanities, Art, and MakerSpace. It was wonderful to see returning faces as well as meet new ones. Thank you for attending!

Another busy week in Middle School. Students took the ERB CTP-5 tests at their own levels. They completed eight sections of testing covering a variety of reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills. They are happy it is in the rearview, and the students should be proud of their focus and perseverance.

Here are upcoming announcements for Middle School:

• Wednesday, 4/16 @ 2 pm: MS Science Fair grades 6, 7, & 8
• Thursday, 4/17 : Grade 8 will spend the full day at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Please pack a lunch.
• Friday, 4/18: No School – Good Friday
• Friday, 4/25:
  • No School
  • Parent/Student Conference Day (Sign-ups posted in MyFWM!)
  • 9:30-12:30 pm: ALL CAST musical rehearsal (students can step out for their conferences)
• DUE May 1: MS TRIP REQUIRED Med form  AND Medical Authorization forms submitted.

Humanities

6th grade Humanities classes continued to read their class novel, The Egypt Game. They had both small and large group discussions about the plot, and it seems to be a book that the class is enjoying! Connections to other novels, predictions, and evidence of foreshadowing have all been part of the regular discussions. Additionally, the class is interested in Egyptian Mythology. As part of that, they learned about the Egyptian creation myth in addition to learning about the notion of a “creation myth” and its importance for different cultural groups. They ended the week by choosing gods and goddesses that they will be diving a little deeper into researching for a mini-project in class next week.

7th grade Humanities class finished George Orwell’s Animal Farm. This week, they took a closer look at the history and its parallel to the events in the novel. They spent a day completing an Animal Farm: Who’s Who? assignment that asked them to identify each character and their historical representation using evidence. They were either people, places, or political beliefs. Next week, students will wrap up the novel with an essay and activity, moving on to post-WWI Germany.

8th grade students looked at the first half of the 18th century in the colonies this week, including the French and Indian War (Seven Years War), leading into the events immediately precipitating the American Revolution. Next week, they will do a small in-class presentation on the direct causes of the Revolution. Additionally, the 8th graders are ramping up the time spent on their Expert Projects as they compose their drafts. Students have each discussed individual due dates for the draft with Mrs. Lamb and should be working on it this weekend and throughout next week.

Math

This week, the Pre-Transition class closed out Chapter 6. The week began with a fun Jeopardy Game to review all Chapter 6 concepts, and the test was taken on Tuesday. This class rounded out their week by diving into Chapter 7, “Using Division”. So far, this class can use arrays to picture divisibility, use fact triangles to solve equations, and show relationships between multiplication and division.

This week, the Transition class finished up Chapter 6. The week started with a fun Jeopardy Game to review all Chapter 6 concepts, and the test was taken on Tuesday. Then, they jumped right into Chapter 8, titled “Multiplication in Algebra”. This class can now recognize the relationship between addition and multiplication, known as the Repeated Addition Property of Multiplication. They are also experts at applying the rate-factor model for multiplication.

This week, Algebra finished Chapter 6 with an engaging game of Jeopardy to review all Chapter 6 concepts, and the test was taken on Tuesday. Then, it was full steam ahead into Chapter 8, “Powers and Roots”. This class can now use powers to count the number of sequences possible for repeated choices. They are also proficient in simplifying products, quotients, and powers of powers.

This week, Geometry completed Chapter 6 with an exciting game of Jeopardy to review all Chapter 6 concepts, and they took the Chapter 6 test on Tuesday. Then, the class dove into Chapter 7, “Applications of Congruent Triangles”. The Geometry class can now draw triangles satisfying given conditions and determine whether or not the triangles are congruent. This class can also use theorems about triangles and parallelograms to prove statements about shapes.

We had a great week in Middle School! Students began spring sports after school and their last rotations of Community Service with their younger peers. Students are also working hard on their set for Finding Nemo, Jr.! You will find below important announcements:

• PLEASE ENSURE your MS student(s) have fully charged laptops at the start of the school day. 
• Tues., 4/8-Thurs., 4/10: CTP-5 Testing will take place in the afternoons.
• Wednesday, 4/16 @ 2 pm: MS Science Fair grades 6, 7, & 8
• Thursday, 4/17: Grade 8 will spend the full day at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Please pack a lunch.
• Friday, 4/18: No School
• Friday, 4/25: No classes- Parent/Student Conference Day (Sign-ups posted in MyFWM!)
• Friday, 4/25 @ 9:30-12:30 pm: ALL CAST musical rehearsal (students can step out for their conferences)
• DUE May 1st: MS TRIP:  REQUIRED Med form  AND Medical Authorization forms submitted.

Here’s what went on in some of the MS classes this week:

Humanities

6th grade Humanities classes wrapped up their learning of Mesopotamia. Focusing on the Sumer people, students completed guided research and art. With Ms. Sara, students explored writing in ancient Sumerian cuneiform using clay, a stylus, and an alphabet key. Next, they shifted to the civilization of Ancient Egypt. Terminology, geography, and a historical overview of the society provided the foundation for this unit. The class also began their next novel, <em>The Egypt Game</em> by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. This mystery set in the present day sets up our continued exploration of Ancient Egypt, including mythology, religion, leaders, social structure, architecture, and practices.

7th grade Humanities classes continued their powerful European leaders unit this week. After completing their World War I study, they reviewed world political economic systems before focusing on Russia during WWI. Poor leadership, heavy losses, and a challenging economy led to the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, setting the stage for our new class novel, <em>Animal Farm</em>. Students are reading this allegory while concurrently learning the events they parallel in Russian history. The class is enthusiastic about this current unit and novella.

8th grade Humanities classes continued their exploration of the colonies. They have been focusing on New England this week, in particular, the Puritans and Massachusetts Bay Colony. Daily life, government, architecture, and religion have been covered. They will also dive into the Salem Witch Trials and discuss this dark time and its implications on the colonies and future society. At the end of the week, students worked on their Expert Projects. At this point, research should be complete, and expert interviews should be just about complete. Students will be drafting their papers next.

Math

The Pre-Transition class wrapped up Chapter 6 this week. The week began with calculating percentages of a given quantity. Then, they dove into the Order of Operations. Students learned the acronym PEMDAS and practiced applying the order of operations to solve problems. The week closed out with multiplying fractions and mixed numbers and, finally, multiplying positive and negative numbers. This class will review Chapter 6 on Monday and take the Chapter 6 Test on Tuesday, April 8th.

Science

Happy Spring, Middle School Community!

It felt great to get back to outdoor lunches three days this week with lots of sunshine and fresh air. This is a great time of year to work through the curriculum and start looking at the end of the year. The next two months will be busy for MS. Please refer to the weekly blog and MyFWM to keep up-to-date with announcements and find scheduled dates and times. The MyFWM calendar is an excellent resource.

Here’s what’s coming up in the month of APRIL:

• RSVP by Friday, 4/4: 2025 MS End-of-Year Trip Announcement
• Sign up for MS After School Spring Sports! Wednesdays: Flag Football; Tues & Thurs: Cross Country.
• Week of 4/7: CTP Testing will take place over a few days in the afternoons.
• Wednesday, 4/16 @ 2 pm: MS Science Fair grades 6, 7, & 8
• Thursday, 4/17: Grade 8 will spend the full day at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Please pack a lunch.
• Friday, 4/18: No School
• Friday, 4/25: No classes- Parent/Student Conference Day (Sign-ups posted soon!)
• Friday, 4/25 @ 9:30-12:30 pm: ALL CAST musical rehearsal (students can step out for their conferences)

Here’s what went on this week:

Humanities

6th grade Humanities began their unit on North Africa and the Middle East. Since they will study ancient civilizations, the class began with opinion writing about whether modern society can know the history of a group of people without writing. There was a great discussion about how information is found through discoveries of various types of artifacts. Next, they completed a current political map of the region and spent part of a few days’ classes exploring it on Google Earth. The class enjoyed virtually dropping into various parts of the countries and observing architecture, natural features of the terrain, and notable sites. They even visited the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, and the Burj Khalifa in the UAE. Students reviewed what they know about timelines as they covered the common era (CE) as well as the era before the common era (BCE). Finally, with Ms. Sara, students completed their Nick Cave Soundsuits, which are on display by the art room, as well as completed summarizing practice by reading news articles, extracting important information, and paraphrasing. This work is in preparation for future current events assignments.

The 7th grade began their Powerful European Leaders unit this week. Beginning with a piece of writing that highlighted what they feel are important qualities of a great leader, the class had a wonderful discussion about this topic and created a class list of these qualities. Next, students completed and reviewed a current political map of the continent of Europe. Finally, the class spent a couple of classes investigating significant events, people, places, and outcomes of WWI. Next week, they will hone in on Russia’s Revolution of 1917 and begin reading George Orwell’s allegory, <em>Animal Farm</em>.

The 8th grade continued to study the Virginia Colony this week. They looked at the Jamestown Settlement, the initial problems that almost led to its demise, then the introduction of tobacco, subsequent farming, and the economic impact in the 1600s. Students read and annotated an article from the National Park Service about “The Rise of the Colonial Plantation System.” They also learned about the formation of the first governing body in the colony, the House of Burgesses. Students began to understand the scope of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by observing the timelapse database on Slave Voyages, which is curated by several research universities, museums, and institutes. Additionally, the class watched the the Smithsonian Channel documentary, Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth. Finally, students ended the week working on their expert projects, and some students had check-ins with Mrs. Lamb. Next Friday, all research and expert interviews are due.

Math

Wow! What a week! The Middle School was buzzing with presentations, and it ended with a great field trip to the Yale Peabody Museum.

First of all, 6th and 7th grade students presented the culmination of a 5-week research project surrounding the theme, Overcoming Obstacles. Students gave 5-15 minute presentations about a notable person or group of people they chose to research that contained interesting graphics, research, and multimedia. The evening was a big success, and all of the students should be proud of the work they did preparing and the bravery they showed delivering a presentation of this scope.

8th grade students gave the first of two Internship Presentation sessions this week. Their unique experiences in diverse fields interested the middle school community. Students spoke about their day-to-day schedule, highlights, challenges, items that surprised them, and an overall reflection on the career as well as the experience.

Finally, Middle School ended the week with a day at the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut. From dinosaur fossils to ancient civilization artifacts, rare gems and minerals, and an exhibit about the brain, the students had a lot to cover. It was a great way to ease into spring break.

We hope you and your family have a rejuvenating two weeks. We look forward to welcoming you back to school on Monday, 3/24.

Middle School students are getting closer to spring break and feeling some warmer temperatures creep in. Here are some announcements for the coming week:

• Thursday, 3/6, at 5:30 pm: Research Night for 6th & 7th-grade students. 8th-grade students are encouraged to attend in support of their classmates. Parking is on campus.
• Friday, 3/7, 9:30 am- 2 pm: Field Trip to the Yale Peabody Museum. Please bring a bagged lunch (there will be no microwave available).
• Spring break 3/10-3/21
• Classes Resume Monday, 3/24

Humanities

6th & 7th Grade Humanities were dialed in and focused on their research projects. With the completion of their research essay drafts, they moved on to their presentations. Students discussed ways to make interesting presentations both visually and through their voices. On Monday, they will go through their practiced presentations for the first time and receive written feedback. Then, they will make any necessary revisions and practice until Thursday night’s final presentations. The students can’t wait to see you on Thursday @ 5:30 pm!

8th Grade students were busy on their internships Monday through Wednesday this week. Upon their return, they talked about their favorite moments and what they found challenging. Then, they finished up their projects, which included a daily journal, reflection, and a presentation. They will speak to the rest of the MS community and share their experiences on Tuesday.

Science

This week 6th Grade students worked more intensely with The Globe Project, an environmental initiative to share data globally. We also investigated weather patterns, looking at cloud and wind data as well as temperature data to make predictions about why certain weather events are more common in various areas. Students looked at data taken from a Mid-Atlantic storm and compared their predictions to an actual event. The class concluded by examining what may happen to weather patterns as the Earth warms. Students used their PQA approach from literacy labs to apply their findings and share their results with the larger class.

This week, the 7th Grade class finished their unit on atomic structure and the periodic table with discussions about electron behavior and radioactive decay. Once finished, they began work on a study guide for this unit in preparation for an upcoming unit test, which will take place this coming Thursday. Students have had two class periods to work on their study guides with Ms. Pickard to oversee their work. The class will go over the study guide early next week, and any questions will be answered in full at that time.

This week the 8th Grade students continued working to understand meiosis. This is a complicated process, and students have really risen to the challenge! Ms. Pickard was impressed with their ability to understand a complex conceptual life function. The class ended the week by examining the benefits of sexual reproduction as compared to asexual reproduction and began work on the importance of genetic diversity in ensuring the survival of a species. Next week, students will continue this current topic, and this will end the unit on cell division.