Spring is a great time of year in the Middle School. The students are in their routines, working through material, collaborating with classmates, checking in with teachers, and continuing to connect with their younger peers. The 8th grade recently submitted the first drafts of their expert project research essays, and they are beginning to work on their presentations. For them, the imminence of the end of the year and time at Fraser Woods is most obvious. It is during this time that the best memories can happen between friends and peers. With our end-of-year trip approaching and other exciting middle school traditions on the horizon, we are all looking forward to the next 6 1/2 weeks before summer begins.

Here’s how the week went in MS classrooms:

Humanities

6th-grade students presented their current events during the first half of the week. They gave informative overviews of important issues and asked thoughtful questions that led the class into discussion. The 6th grade also completed their class novel, The Eye of Ra, by Ben Gartner, this week. This novel is the first in The Eye of Ra series and surrounds characters being immersed in an ancient civilization. This book was a great launching point for Ancient Egyptian history and helped students understand the social order and values of this culture. It also proves how pieces of the past evolve into the present. Finally, tied into our weekly poetry, students looked at Lewis Carroll’s “The Jabberwocky.” They discussed how it is possible to develop meaning and images in their minds with words that have no actual meaning. They also created a visual representation of the poem using their own understanding of the text.

7th-grade Humanities students also began the week with current events presentations. They also continued to briefly explore the countries of Europe by looking at their geography and architecture. Then in continuation of last week’s World War I overview, students looked closer at Russia, its involvement in the war, and the political upheaval that occurred during and after that time. The class began reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is a political allegory of this time period. Students will make parallels between the farm, its characters, and Russian history.

The 8th-grade submitted drafts of their expert project essays at the start of the week. Then, they continued reading their class novel, If I Ever Get Out of Here. To understand the circumstances of the protagonist, a member of the Tuscarora Nation who lives on the reservation in the 1970s, students have to go back in history. As we discuss the movement and removal of Native nations in the late 18th and 19th centuries, we are first discussing the American Revolution and the events that led to the formation of the U.S. Students researched and created presentations of these causes. Next, we will discuss the Revolution’s outcomes, the formation of the Constitution, and how both Natives and enslaved Africans were affected by these.

Math

In the Pre-Transition math class, students concluded their learning of Chapter 7 in the UCSMP textbook. This chapter covered topics such as dividing positive and negative numbers, identifying whether a simple fraction equals a terminating or repeating decimal, and dividing decimals using long division strategies.

This week, the Middle School enjoyed having Upper El students visit with them. They joined science and humanities classes with grade 6 and traveled with a blended group for math and art. Also, they joined the middle school whole group for recess. The teachers enjoyed getting to know the rising 6th graders and look forward to them joining us next year. Read on to learn what else went on in our classes this week.

Humanities

Grade 6 students are focused on Ancient Egypt this week! They are two-thirds of the way through their class novel, The Eye of Ra. This book follows siblings who accidentally become transported to Egypt and part of the building process of the Pyramid of Djoser. Over the last couple of weeks, the class has learned about the social structure of Egypt and the significance of pyramids. They have learned about specific figures in history relating to these as well. In groups, the class was given the following assignment: In the writing style of Ben Gartner (author), write the book’s next chapter as if it is the last. Students identified the four items needing to be resolved, and the groups wrote four different endings. Students have also completed a unit of vocabulary and will present current events on Monday,

Grade 7 classes have been working on the unit, Powerful European Leaders. They identified what they feel are qualities of a great leader based on observations of people they consider to be leaders or mentors in their lives and what they have observed in the world. Then, students completed a brief overview of World War I: who was involved, causes, major events, and resolution. Finally, we looked at the geography of Europe. The class completed a modern-day political map of the European continent and looked at maps from 1914, at the start of WWI, and 1919, after WWI ended. In addition to current events, the class is excited to learn more about Russian History during WWI and begin George Orwell’s Animal Farm next week!

Grade 8 students spent the week working on their expert project drafts, which were due at the end of the week. In addition, the class reviewed how to use in-text citations and develop works cited pages. Mrs. Lamb is excited about the project’s next phase, which is developing the presentation!

Math

What a beautiful week! Students spent time outdoors enjoying the sunshine and were able to return to outdoor lunches.

The middle school has had two exciting events since returning from spring break that we want to highlight: The Middle School play and Science Fair.

First, thank you for coming and supporting our middle school production of the original play, Toys’ Adventure! Seeing the words that students write come to life on stage is always a highlight. All of their hard work with memorizing lines, remembering their blocking, creating the set pieces, and changing the set during the play all culminated in two successful performances. Additionally, it is a joy to listen to the students talk about the process of writing and executing the play in the question-and-answer segment following the show. The students saw every piece of what it takes to put on a show, including setting up and breaking the set. All culminated with a reflective activity and an ice cream party.

Next, the 6th-year Earth Science and 7th-year Physical Science students presented their science fair research projects. Students could choose a concept from their science tech book or related field in either earth or physical science. Then, students formatted their research based on the scientific method, stating the problem/question, identifying their hypothesis, formatting research, compiling data, analyzing results, and providing a conclusion.

Topics for the 6th year Earth Science class were “How Was the Solar System Created?” “Wind Turbine Efficiency,” “Why do Coastal Redwoods Grow So Tall?” “Rocket Efficiency,” “How Does Density Affect Seismic Waves?” “How are Galaxies Classified?” “Engineering Behind Bridge Design,” and “Retrofitting Buildings to Withstand Earthquakes.” The 7th-year Life Science students’ topics were “Kinetic vs. Potential Energy,” “Heat and Pressure,” “Science Behind Acrylic Nails,” and “Titanium vs. Wood Golf Drivers.”

Every student did an excellent job researching, formatting their poster board, and presenting their topic to friends and family.

Enjoy the weekend!

It has been a wonderful return to school following spring break. It has been great to see all of the students and to be working on the amazing play they wrote: Toys’ Adventure. 

We started the week with a full cast read-through of the script. From there, the days begin with warm-up games, and then students work either on the stage blocking with Ms. Sutherland, building the set with Ms. Reid and Mr. Brown, or gathering and organizing props with Mrs. Lamb. The set is looking great, and the entire play is blocked. The teachers are impressed with how well the students work together and learn their lines. There is a lot of positive energy!

Next week, the Middle School looks forward to finishing rehearsals and performing LIVE for the middle school families and Fraser Woods community on Tuesday evening, April 4, at 7 pm, and another show for the younger students during the school day on Wednesday. We will wrap up by taking down the set and having our cast party on Wednesday afternoon.

Pi Day!

On Friday, March 10th, the middle school students celebrated Pi Day (officially on Tuesday, March 14th). Grade 6, 7, and 8 students participated in 8 rotating stations in the common area to learn about the significance of Pi. We enjoyed a variety of engaging stations that included calculating the circumference of everyday objects, descrambling the digits to Pi, and constructing 3D cylinders with given dimensions. After our exciting activities, students listened to a read-aloud story of “Sir Cumfrance and the First Round Table,” written by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehan, and sampled a variety of real pie treats before heading off to our spring break vacation!

Pi Day Jokes: 

Middle School Play

SAVE THE DATE

**The Middle School Play will be held in the Gym on Wednesday, April 5th, at 7 pm.**

The 2023 Middle School play, called Toys’ Adventure, is just about finished! We have spent the last two weeks developing the plot and writing the script after the Playwriting Elective developed the overall main idea of the play during the winter months.

The main idea was developed over the winter and was a long list that was then narrowed down.  In the end, the idea of a group of kids getting stuck in a movie was perfect for the production. It is loosely centered around the original Toy Story movie, which is a first for the MS production.

Character development is the next pivotal piece in developing the play. Who will bring this story to life? Each student had a chance to develop a character, whether it was to be played by them or someone else. This involved imagining a personality and appearance, how they will affect the plot, and writing examples of what this character might say. The magic comes in when each student presents their character. The rest of the class can contribute ideas, which then solidify their role. This year, we had integral characters from the movie Toy Story to be added. Developing the characters has been a favorite portion of the process for me.

Finally, it’s time to write!  We used Humanities classes over the last two weeks, and we used two full mornings to write. Now, Mrs. Lamb is going through each scene to ensure that plot goals are carried through, digressions are removed as much as possible, characters stay true to who they are supposed to be, and the play comes together the way it was originally intended. Students should have final scripts posted to review and memorize by Wednesday, 3/15!

We hope everyone enjoys their break and look forward to immersion weeks when we return! More to come!

Happy first Friday of March! What a great week it has been!

Humanities

This week’s humanities classes consisted of plot development, character development, and scene writing for the middle school play they are calling “The Movie Play” for now. Students reviewed important elements of the plot structure that need to be included and are learning how to translate that into dialogue. It is exciting watching it all come together and knowing that in another week, students will have composed a play!

Math

Happy Friday! Let’s catch up! First, thank you for providing delicious food for our Valentine’s Day celebration. Secondly, we had a wonderful evening showcasing grade 6 & 7 research projects on the 15th. The teachers appreciate your support for the students; they certainly felt accomplished. Finally, it was great to see all of you for parent conferences just before Presidents’ Day. The middle school conferences are unique because our students participate in the conversation, offering their reflection on the trimester and providing goals for the rest of the year.

The Middle School also completed a gallery in the commons celebrating historic Black figures in honor of Black History Month. They wrote short pieces highlighting the achievements of the individual they chose to research and created an artistic portrait in the style of artist Kehinde Wiley. Please feel free to come in and check it out!

Humanities

Grade 6 Humanities classes started the week with a reflective discussion about the research project. Then, looking back, they thought about what worked for them and what they might do differently moving forward with a long-term project. Next, the class has begun studying Ancient Egypt. They started by mapping the region’s geography and researching key terms they would hear during their study. Finally, students completed a unit of vocabulary this week.

Grade 7 Humanities classes also started the week with a reflective discussion about the research project. They had the unique opportunity to observe growth from last year’s project. They also considered what they might do differently moving forward with a long-term project. Next, students are in different phases of drafting their fables as we begin our next class novel, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park. They will be reading this and looking at more modern Sudanese and South Sudanese history and the experience of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Finally, they completed a unit of vocabulary this week.

Grade 8 students studied the hard history of the transatlantic slave trade this week. First, they used the online database Slave Voyages, which logged all of the charters submitted by captains of ships, and it has a moving representation of the ships and the enslaved Africans they held captive over the course of 300 years. Next, the students were guided to do work that was analyzed and asked to make observations of this resource stemming from primary sources. Next, they watched and reflected on the transatlantic slave trade episode of Crash Course: Black American History, hosted by Clint Smith. Finally, students completed a unit of vocabulary.

Science

6th year Earth Science students are busy designing their hydroelectric and wind turbines as part of their unit, Natural Resources. Students are using the program Tinkercad with the help of Mr. Fuchs to print each of their designs. Once each turbine is created, students will test out the efficiency of their design in class. The hydroelectric turbine will be tested using a continued cycle of water flowing through a gutter, with its blade design attached to a wooden dowel. As the turbine spins from the water pressure, a string will wrap around the dowel, lifting a set unit of weight. Students will test how much weight their designs can lift and the time required to do so. As with the hydroelectric turbines, the wind turbines will have a similar concept of testing their efficiency using a hair dryer to simulate wind power.

7th-year Physical Science students are finishing up fine-tuning their pinewood derby cars as part of their unit, Kinetic and Potential Energy. Students generated a rough outline of their car design which was later sanded and painted in class. Each student was then tasked with determining the weight placement of their car to maximize the kinetic energy while traveling down the derby track. Students can adjust their car’s weight distribution after each run providing an immediate redesign application and assessment. Once the cars are dialed in, students will hold a pinewood derby contest for the rest of the Fraser Woods community to observe.

8th-year Life Science students are working on the unit Genetic Influences. Students are researching how geneticists can manipulate the genes of organisms to yield desirable traits resulting in higher production of a particular crop or studies that help individuals with a strong likelihood of acquiring genetic diseases. We have discussed what exactly GMOs are and the importance of being educated regarding such a title when it comes to what we put into our bodies.

Math

Happy Friday, Middle School Community! We missed the 8th graders while they were away on their internships for the first part of the week, but we enjoyed hearing about their experiences.

Humanities

Grade 6 & 7 Humanities classes worked on their research presentations’ first and second rounds. For each “round” they present, Mrs. Lamb gives both written and one-on-one feedback. When classmates are presenting, they are making revisions, checking off their editing to-do list, and practicing. Students are excited to welcome you to their Research Presentation Night on Wednesday, 2/15, at 7 pm in the Commons!

Grade 8 students were off working at their internships from Monday through Wednesday. Upon their return, they practiced presentations given to the Upper Elementary and Middle School classes about their experience.

Math