Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

Tues., 5/27-Fri., 5/30: MS Trip (Check Resources on MyFWM for trip details)

Week of 6/2: Spirit Week  (see below)

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, 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 @ 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

We are off this week on our MS Trip! You will be contacted on Tuesday to take part in our shared photo album to check out all the fun we are having. In the meantime, here is our weekly review:

Humanities

6th grade Humanities class worked hard to complete their final class novel, Shooting Kabul. Students had daily discussions (both small group and full-class) and used their homework to guide them. Students had the choice this week of developing discussion questions or answering questions provided for them based on their reading. They will complete the last few chapters of the novel over the weekend, for when we return to classes in June.

7th grade students completed their final class novel of the year, Four Perfect Pebbles, a memoir written by Marion Blumenthal Lazan about her and her family’s experience in concentration camps during the Holocaust and after liberation. Classes discussed the atrocities against the Jewish people during the Holocaust as well as Marion’s personal experience. Finally, 7th-grade students worked on an important secret mission this week.

8th-grade soon-to-be graduates composed their graduation speech drafts this week. From brainstorming to writing and meeting with Mrs. Lamb, the students are ready for final edits and practice before delivering their last message to the FWM community. Also, the 8th grade worked on reading and annotating their final class text, She Came to Slay. 

Science

6th grade:
This last week of formal class was spent preparing students for the format of next year’s science class.  Students worked with partners to complete a study guide in order to prepare for a test on their Environmental Science unit.  They took the test on Friday, and all students came prepared.  Ms. Pickard was very impressed with the amount of work and dedication each student put into this final unit.  This includes their level of work throughout the unit and especially in this final week leading up to the test.  Students were nervous about this new format, but worked to overcome the challenge, and everyone agreed they could adapt to this new change for next year.
7th grade:
Students completed their unit on Chemical Bonding this week.  They concluded class lessons on ionic and covalent bonding with a test given on Friday.  This last week, students worked diligently in order to prepare for the test. This included going over previous Google Slides presentations and reviewing notes in order to fill out the current study guide.  All students came to the test prepared and ready to work.  They did an excellent job and should be really proud of themselves for all of the difficult work they accomplished this school year.
8th grade:
This week, students began work on a unit covering Evolution.  They discussed new vocabulary for the unit, then moved into different types of adaptations, discussed the importance of genetic diversity in order for a population to survive, spoke about tolerance range and environmental stressors, discussed various mechanisms of genetic change in terms of frequency, talked about natural selection and the mechanisms required for it to occur, compared natural selection to artificial selection, and rounded out the week discussing evidence for evolution.  Students did a fantastic job buckling down this week in order to accomplish what they needed to. Ms. Pickard was really proud of them for working right up through the last day of formal classes!

Math

Pre-Transition: This Monday, the Pre-Transition class took their last Chapter Test of the school year—woohoo! With testing behind them, they’ve jumped into a super fun end-of-year project: building their own 3-D shape cities. Everyone is using shape nets to create different buildings and structures, then calculating the surface area to see how much “material” they’d need in real life. On top of that, they’re using linear equations to design roads that connect their buildings together. It’s been awesome seeing their creativity and math skills come together. Can’t wait to see how these cities turn out!

Transition: After wrapping up their final unit test on Monday, this class has been diving into an exciting end-of-year project: designing and building their own mini cities! Students are using templates to fold and form 3-D buildings and calculating how much space each structure would take up by finding surface area. They’re also plotting out roads using linear equations to connect different parts of their cities. It’s been a great way to bring math to life and see how it all fits together outside the textbook.

Algebra: On Monday, Algebra students tackled their final Chapter Test of the year—hard to believe they’ve made it to the end! They’ve kicked off a super creative and challenging end-of-year project: designing their own escape rooms. Each room in the escape challenge reviews a different concept from throughout the year, from solving equations to graphing, systems, functions, and more. Students are working in teams to build puzzles, craft clues, and make sure everything ties back to the Algebra skills they’ve mastered. Best part? On the last day of class, they’ll swap rooms and try to “escape” each other’s creations. It’s been an awesome mix of review, teamwork, and fun—and a great way to wrap up a fantastic year of Algebra!

Geometry: On Monday, the Geometry class completed their final Chapter Test of the school year! To celebrate and apply everything they’ve learned, students are now working on a hands-on, end-of-year project: designing and building mini models of miniature golf holes. They’re diving into the world of angles and reflections, calculating the path a golf ball would take after bouncing off one, two, or even three walls. Using their knowledge of angle measurements, parallel lines, and geometric reasoning, students are predicting trajectories and testing their designs. It’s been a fun and engaging way to wrap up the year.

Middle School: Expert Presentations & Garden Party

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

  • Fri., 5/23 @ 5pm: Spring Concert & Picnic
  • Tues., 5/27-Fri., 5/30: MS Trip (Click Here For Details on Trip, Packing List, & Balance)
  • 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

It was a special week for Middle School students, and they had feelings that the year was coming to a close.

First, 8th-grade graduates presented their Expert Project Presentations. The depth of their research, passion for their topics, and bravery in speaking to their audience were certainly impressive. Students spoke for 15-20 minutes about the following topics:

  • From Boneshakers to Mountain Bikes: The Evolution and Impact of the Bicycle
  • The Troubles in Northern Ireland: A Conflict of Identity, Politics, and History
  • Inside the Consumer Mind:  The Psychology Behind Advertising
  • The Use of 3D Printing in Today’s Modern World
  • The Manhattan Project: Building the Atomic Age
  • Leveling Up: The Evolution of Video Games
  • Fishing: Economics, Impact, and the Environment
  • Adventure Aesthetics

Thank you to all the middle school students and families who came to support their peers as they achieved this accomplishment.

Next, it was a fantastic end to the week with the Middle School Garden Party. This fun social event, organized by the 8th-grade Leadership class, had students dressing up, dancing, and playing games. The crowd was lively and on their feet for just about the entire party. Thank you to the parents for contributing to the snacks and treats. A special thank you to the class parents for decorating!

Only a few more weeks remain, and they will be packed with memories as we close the school year.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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.

Science
6th Grade:
This week in Science, students continued working within the Environmental Science unit. They focused on the divide between developed and developing countries, discussing criteria to define each.  The class then split into groups and looked at their own clothing in order to see where most of their garments are made.  Not surprisingly, over 95% of our classroom’s clothing was made in developing countries.  Students then spent time brainstorming why that might be and what the environmental impacts of that truth might be.
7th Grade:
This week 7th grade wrapped up their unit on Ionic Compounds.  They spent time learning about polyatomic ions and acids at the start of the week and ended the week reviewing the topic as a whole.  Students were even able to watch an episode of Mythbusters in which the scientists conducted chemical experiments to investigate whether what is seen on TV is accurate.  Students did an excellent job on this unit!  This subject is not easy and students persevered while challenging themselves.  As a group, their willingness to push themselves is impressive.  Next week, the class will begin their final unit on Covalent Compounds.
8th grade:
This week was spent wrapping up their unit on Genetics, both Mendelian and Non-Mendelian, in addition to the study of pedigree charts.  Students welcomed the challenge of pedigrees, learning the different patterns of different types of inheritance.  Their sticktoitiveness and wanting to succeed is worth mention.  The class, as a whole, did a wonderful job putting all of their recently gained vocabulary and knowledge together in attacking complex pedigrees. Next week will begin their final unit on Evolution.
Math

Pre-Transition: The Pre-Transition class wrapped up their learning of Chapter 7 this week. The week began with learning the difference between repeating and terminating decimals and how to determine if a simple fraction will be one or the other. The class then learned how to find quotients of decimals, divide negative and positive numbers, and solve multiplication and division equations using fact triangles. They will take the Chapter 7 Test on Thursday, May 15.

Transition: This week, the Transition class completed Chapter 8. They can now solve and check equations in the form ax + b = c using the Multiplication Property of Equality. They then learned how to solve equations in the form of y = ax + b. They will take the Chapter 8 test on Thursday, May 15.
Algebra: It was a week full of radicals in Algebra as we closed out on Chapter 8. The week began with learning to simplify square roots and cube roots. They then moved on to multiplying and dividing square roots, and using the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate distances on the x-y coordinate plane. They will take the Chapter 8 Test on Thursday, May 15.
 
Geometry: The Geometry class finalized their learning of Chapter 7 this week. They can now identify properties of parallelograms and determine whether conditions are sufficient for parallelograms and other quadrilaterals. This class has also mastered representing relationships between quadrilaterals using the hierarchy based on diagonals. They will take the Chapter 7 Test on Thursday, May 15.

Middle School: An Exciting Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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!

Middle School: A Scientific Week

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

MS Upcoming Announcements:

  • Friday, 4/25: MS Conferences Students attend these with parent(s). Sign up using MyFWM.
  • DUE Friday, 5/2: All Medical Forms for the MS Trip due (See RESOURCES on MyFWM for forms.)
  • Friday, 5/2: Grandparents & Special Friends Day Buses will run from 9:30-11:30. MS classrooms will be open from 10-11 am (more details to come).
  • Friday, 5/2 @ 7 pm: Spring Musical: Finding Nemo, Jr.
  • Tuesday, 5/6 @ 8:15 am: High School Placement Meeting for RISING 8th grade families.
  • Wednesday, 5/14 @ 6 pm: 8th Grade Expert Presentations
  • Friday, 5/16 @ 6:30-8:30: MS Spring Dance (more details and an evite coming soon)

This week, the Middle School was jam-packed with all things science,  and we couldn’t be prouder of our students for tackling it all with enthusiasm and grace.

Science Fair

Thank you to everyone who attended the annual Science Fair! It was wonderful to see the students show off their work. The teachers loved seeing the students shine while presenting their projects. They worked so hard over the last two weeks to make their projects come to life. We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.
Grades 6 & 7 Field Trip to The Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point
It was a memorable day filled with birdwatching, beach exploration, and hands-on learning! Students had the opportunity to observe a variety of coastal wildlife in their natural habitats, explore the tidal marshes, and learn about the importance of protecting our local ecosystems. Students also had the opportunity to observe shorebirds in their natural habitat and learned how to identify different species. We spent time walking along the beach during low tide, discovering shells, tracks, and other signs of coastal life. Although the chilly weather meant fewer animals were out, students saw firsthand how climate and seasonal changes impact the presence of wildlife. The breathtaking views of Long Island Sound and the chance to connect our learning with real-world experiences made this trip a highlight of our year!
Grade 8 Field Trip to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
Eighth grade ended the week at the Maritime Aquarium, where they got a behind-the-scenes tour before the aquarium opened to the public. Following the tour, students dissected sharks, toured exhibits at the aquarium, and ended the trip with a 4D film.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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.

Science

In science, students continued working on their science fair projects. By now, students have planned, organized, and conducted their experiments. Over the weekend, all students need to collect, organize, and analyze their data, as well as write the conclusion to their project. Guidelines for the project, including the timeline, grading structure, and description of each section, can be found on Google Classroom. Please encourage your student(s) to finish this work should they still need to. The students hope to see you all at their Science Fair on April 16 at 2:00!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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.

The Transition class concluded their learning of Chapter 6 this week. This class can now use properties of lines and angles to determine angle measures. They are also experts at using the Triangle-Sum Property to find measures of angles. They ended the week by learning to calculate the distance between two points on a coordinate plane. This class will review Chapter 6 on Monday and take the Chapter 6 Test on Tuesday, April 8th.
Algebra closed out Chapter 6 this week! After learning all about formulas for lines, such as slope-intercept, slope-point, and standard form, this class can now convert across all three! They also learned about the line of best fit and how to graph data on Google Sheets to create a scatter plot. The week wrapped up by becoming experts at graphing linear inequalities. This class will review Chapter 6 on Monday and take the Chapter 6 Test on Tuesday, April 8th.
Students in the Geometry class are now experts in Polygons and Symmetry after completing Chapter 6! This week, they focused on properties of trapezoids, learned how to calculate a shape’s rotational symmetry, and now know the properties of various types of triangles and regular polygons. This class will review Chapter 6 on Monday, and take the Chapter 6 Test on Tuesday, April 8th.

Science

All students began working on their projects for the Middle School Science Fair this week! Students were asked to choose a topic related to their current science subject this year. Students chose topics, researched their topics with the purpose of gaining knowledge about their subjects, narrowed their findings to a testable question, and, finally, developed their hypotheses. At this time, all students have completed this work. Please be sure to ask your students what they will be investigating!
A guide for the Science Fair has been posted to Google Classroom and is available to all middle school students. If you would like to know more about the project, please ask your student to show you this guide, and, as always, feel free to reach out to Ms. Pickard with any questions.

Middle School: Welcome to the Spring Trimester!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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:

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

This week, the Pre-Transition class continued into the exciting world of Chapter 6. They kicked off the week by revisiting the skills they mastered before Spring Break, reviewing their quizzes, and making any needed corrections to ensure understanding. Then, the class tackled the power of exponents, learning how to calculate values and simplify expressions like pros. They also got hands-on with expanded notation, rewriting numbers in base 10 with ease. To top it off, they wrapped up the week by mastering the art of multiplying decimals and percents. What a week of growth and learning!

This week, the Transition class continued exploring Chapter 6. They began the week by reviewing the skills learned before Spring Break, looking over their quizzes, and making key corrections if needed to solidify their understanding. Then, they ventured onto angles and lines, uncovering the properties that help determine angle measures. From parallel lines to transversals, alternate interior angles to same-side exterior angles, students unlocked the secrets of these powerful geometric concepts. It was a week filled with discovery and excitement!
To start off the week in Algebra, students reviewed the concepts learned prior to the break, looked over their quizzes, and made any necessary corrections to solidify their understanding. They then continued on with Chapter 6. They are now able to find an equation for a line given its slope and a point or any two points on the line. They can also write equations for lines in both slope-intercept form as well as slope-point form. Algebra closed out the week with students discovering how to find the equation for lines through two points and practicing graphing these lines.
This week in Geometry, students looked over the concepts learned prior to the break, reviewed their quizzes, and made any necessary corrections to ensure understanding. The week continued with learning more Chapter 6 concepts. Prior to the break, Geometry previewed different types of quadrilaterals and applied theorems about quadrilaterals and regular polygons to find angle measures and segment lengths. This week, they looked deeper into the properties of kites and trapezoids and practiced with proofs using postulates and theorems.

Science

This week, 6th-grade students started work on our new unit covering Environmental Science. Students have access to a Google Slide presentation and a guided notes outline on this topic. They began the week discussing what the study of environmental science is and explored the history of the field. Then, they discussed an essay written by Garrett Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” in which he proposed that individuals are likely to make decisions based on personal need, regardless of the negative impact their decisions may have on the larger world. The class used the original 1972 The Lorax cartoon to further our understanding of this topic. 6th grade ended the week finding modern-day examples of a commons and explaining how that commons is being overused or exploited.
7th-grade students began a new unit on bonding this week. They are currently working on ionic bonding, the transfer of electrons in a chemical reaction. Students learned how to predict atomic behavior based on their knowledge of the periodic table’s groupings. They also used their knowledge of ions to predict how atoms would react in a chemical reaction. Students learned the Bohr model diagrams, how to find the number of valence electrons, how to determine the number of energy levels an atom will have, and how to draw Lewis dot diagrams.
This week in Life Science, 8th graders spent the first two days of the week working on creating a study guide for the unit test. Students worked in small groups to complete a study guide to review the material for our unit on cell division. The end of the week was reserved for a whole class review as well as the test itself.  Students did an excellent job preparing for the test! Ms. Pickard was really impressed with the amount of effort and time the 8th-grade students spent completing their study guides and readying themselves for the test. This work really paid off and is visible in their test scores.
Looking forward to the rest of the trimester!