It was an active and focused week in Middle School. Props for the Musical are being designed in Makerspace, and the sounds of rehearsals of both spring concert songs and Willy Wonka songs are filling the hallways. When walking by the classroom, students are engaged in labs, books, and their classwork. This is an excellent time of year to get through material as our brain is focused with the weather inviting body breaks.

Coming Up:

• Be on the lookout for communication regarding medical forms required for the MS trip!
• 8th Grade Expert Presentations: Wednesday, 4/22 @ 6 pm
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule
  

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Humanities

This week in grade 6/7 Humanities classes, students reached the halfway point of Animal Farm by George Orwell. In addition to daily discussions regarding plot, they simultaneously learned about the Russian history that is being depicted in the novel. They covered the Russian Revolution of 1917, propaganda, the Bolshevik party, and the following people: Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin. Students are starting to make guesses about who/what in history represents characters in the novel. This will be an activity next week.

Grade 8 Humanities class spent some time this week on history and also their expert projects. First, students interpreted and answered questions from Thomas Jefferson’s notes regarding apportionment when deciding government structure in the new United States. Then, they learned about the time in the states following the American Revolution, which saw the newly drafted Articles of Confederation not work the way they hoped. Coupled with fast-growing populations in the states, it necessitated a new doctrine for the country. The Constitutional Convention aimed to create this.  Students will pick up with the Constitution next week. Additionally, 8th-grade students delivered their expert presentations for a first round of feedback. Some were even able to revise and deliver a second time. It is exciting to see these months-long projects come to life!

Science

Middle School students continued working with the lessons from the Discovery Education e-book. This week, 6^th and 7^th graders continued working on their understanding of changes of matter. They worked on a hands-on project called Mystery Bottle. Students were able to see how water changed its state from liquid to gas and store it in capped plastic bottles. They got two bottles: one was left on the counter, exposed to cool down at room temperature, and the other was submerged in a bucket of cold water. Students worked on formulating the experiment’s hypothesis, recording data, and using their critical thinking skills to come to a conclusion. They were able to see that as the water in the bottle cooled down or lost heat energy, the shape of the bottle was being compressed. This was due to the water molecules being condensed and needing less space, causing a drop in the internal pressure. After 15 minutes, when the observation ended, the plastic bottle was completely compressed as a result of the higher atmospheric pressure than the enclosed system pressure.

On the other hand, 8^th Graders continued learning about Cellular Respiration and Fermentation and their importance in our lives. This week, they were learning how the process of fermentation works. They worked in a virtual laboratory to investigate how yeast works and what its function is when making bread. In this virtual laboratory, they had a mission: to solve why a bread recipe turned out flat in the Rocky Mountains (at a higher altitude and lower atmospheric pressure). Students had to test variables such as the amount of sugar, water temperature, and altitude. They had to run multiple trials to find the best conditions for the fermentation of the dough. In addition to that, they had to find a scientific explanation with their evidence for all the multiple possible reasons that could cause the bread to be flat. All these lessons are supported by classwork, videos, readings, and explanations in class as well as weekly science articles where students can practice their critical thinking to answer the questions.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students began Chapter 7. They reviewed key division vocabulary, including divisor, dividend, quotient, and remainder. Students also refreshed their understanding of multiplying positive and negative numbers, revisited related division facts, and reviewed the rate factor for multiplication.

We are excited for this year’s Middle School Trip to Washington, D.C.! The trip is designed to be educational, fun, and a bonding experience for our middle school group. This is where many memories are made, and it also allows students to come out of their comfort zones. They are able to rely on each other differently than they would in the classroom and experience independence away from home. Please review the trip communication for more information and important dates related to the trip.

Announcements:

• Please RSVP for the MS Trip to Washington, D.C. using this form
• Trip Communication can be viewed in MS Resources
• 8th Grade Expert Presentations: Wednesday, 4/22 @ 6 pm
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule
  

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Humanities

Grade 6 and 7 Humanities classes had a great week. They finished their overview of World War I and began learning about Russian History during the same time period. They also began learning about the political economic systems of capitalism, socialism, and communism in order to better understand their latest novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell. Students read the first couple of chapters of this allegory and completed some accompanying comprehension questions. Additionally, students read and wrote their own children’s poetry this week for our weekly poetry lesson.

8th grade Humanities class finished up the American Revolution and backtracked a bit to learn about the two meetings of the Continental Congress that led to the formation of the initial government of the USA. They learned about apportionment and also read some of the Articles of Confederation. Separately, students are completing the presentation portion of their Expert Projects and will have their first round of feedback on Tuesday.

Math

Pre-Transition: Students wrapped up Chapter 6 this week, focusing on multiplying percents by numbers as well as multiplying mixed numbers. To reinforce these skills, they completed the Chapter 6 self-test and participated in a review game to practice key concepts covered in this chapter. Students will take the Chapter 6 Assessment on Monday, April 6th.

Transition: Students completed Chapter 6, where they were introduced to key concepts in geometric transformations. To wrap up the chapter, students explored the properties of parallelograms and the triangle sum theorem, and they learned how to calculate the distance between two points on a coordinate plane. To prepare for the assessment, students completed the Chapter 6 self-test and participated in a review game to reinforce their understanding. They will take the Chapter 6 test on Monday, April 6th.

Algebra: After finishing Chapter 5 and using the self-test as a study tool, Algebra students reinforced their understanding by playing a review game. They then demonstrated their learning by taking the Chapter 5 test. The week closed out with an introduction to Chapter 6, “Slopes and Lines.” Students explored the concept of slope, also known as the rate of change, and learned the formula for calculating the slope of a line using two points.

Geometry: This week, the Geometry class wrapped up Chapter 5 by exploring the sums of angle measures in polygons. Students are now able to apply the triangle-sum, quadrilateral-sum, and polygon-sum theorems to determine unknown angle measures. They also practiced using the exterior angle theorem to solve problems involving triangle angles and learned how to draw auxiliary figures to support their proofs. The week ended with the Chapter 5 self-test, and students will take the Chapter 5 test on Monday, April 6th.

Science

Middle School students continued working with the lessons from the Discovery Education e-book. This week, 6^th and 7^th graders continued working on their understanding of changes of matter. They worked on virtual lab sessions about different substances changing their state of matter, testing their variables, and discovering that each substance has a different boiling, freezing, and melting point. They also worked on finding examples of sublimation (change of state from solid to gas) and deposition (change of state from gas to solid). They conducted research and used reliable sources, helping them to explain their thinking.

8^th Graders continued learning about respiration and cellular respiration and their importance for all living organisms. They are learning how glucose is broken down slowly and regulated by enzymes in aerobic and anaerobic respiration, following multiple steps that allow them to produce the energy (ATP) needed by a cell from a living organism. Additionally, students learned about the latest NASA mission, Artemis II , the first crewed mission to fly around the moon in 53 years, making a very important test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). This mission will be in orbit for 10 days, carrying important scientific studies to improve and help medical studies, explore the deep space environment, and test critical life support, navigation, and human spacecraft interaction away from Earth. Students were able to see the launch of the Orion spacecraft. They enjoyed watching it and showed a lot of interest in this topic. All of these lessons are supported by classwork, videos, readings, and explanations in class, followed up with weekly science articles where students can practice their critical thinking to answer the questions.

Happy spring, and welcome back to the middle school students! It was a great week of learning and being outside. Finally feeling warmer temperatures, the middle school ate lunch outside for most of the week.

Announcements:

• 8th Grade Expert Presentations: Wednesday, 4/22 @ 6 pm
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule

Math

Pre-Transition: It was a great first week back from spring break! Students began the week by reviewing key concepts from Chapter 6 to refresh their understanding and build confidence. From there, they continued their learning by working with exponents, including calculating values and rewriting numbers in expanded form. Students also practiced multiplying decimals without the use of a calculator, strengthening their number sense and accuracy. In addition, they explored how to find the percent of a number, applying this skill to a variety of problems.

Humanities

The 6th and 7th-grade classes had a busy start to the trimester. They first completed a writing assessment to start the trimester by responding in essay form to a prompt of their choosing. Then, the classes dove into their unit, Powerful European Leaders. Beginning with a discussion about what they feel are important qualities of a great leader, they created a class list. Then, they chose two of these qualities to highlight and expand upon in a piece of writing. Students also completed a current political map of the continent of Europe. Finally, the class spent time 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, Animal Farm.

The 8th grade also had a busy start to the trimester. Their expert research paper drafts were due on Friday, so they spent some time editing, formatting, and finishing these. Additionally, the class delivered brief presentations of the research they completed before the break on the causes of the American Revolution. Then, they began learning about key events in the American Revolution as well as the involvement of both enslaved and freed people of African descent in the war.

Science

Wow! What a great (and busy) week before break for the Middle School.

6th and 7th-grade students presented the culmination of a 5-week research project surrounding the theme, A Moment in History. Students gave 5-6 minute presentations about a time or event of historical significance that they chose to research, which 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 in delivering a presentation of this scope.

Also, 8th-grade students finalized their research for this year’s Expert Project. Additionally, some have completed interviews with their experts or will be completing them over the break. The 8th-grade class has been working hard on these projects since our return from winter break and looks forward to presenting on April 22nd!

We hope you and your family have a rejuvenating two weeks. We look forward to welcoming you back to school on Monday, 3/23.

Rain kept middle school students inside for a few days this week, but their energy was surely high! With more snow on our heels, it looks like it will be a bit longer before we see the turf on the field. As we enter our final two weeks of the trimester (and before spring break), there is a palpable sense of imminent change.

Announcements:

• 6th & 7th Grade Research Presentations Thursday, February 26th @ 5:30 pm. 
• Please check for appropriate winter attire for the outdoors. Most students will go outside with their younger peers during Community Service each week.
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule
  

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Humanities

All Humanities classes continued to learn about trailblazing and innovative Black Americans at the start of Humanities classes.

6th and 7th grade Humanities classes completed their 3-5 page research essays this week by writing their conclusions, looking at transitions, and incorporating citations. They also used a self-edit checklist to help them complete this part of the writing process. Now, Mrs. Lamb will read and give feedback to the completed draft before final revisions are done. Students also began the final stage of the research project: presentations! Students are working on a slide deck and notes for their 5-minute presentations that families and friends will see on Thursday at 5:30 pm!

8th-grade Humanities students worked more on their expert projects this week, with the goal of organizing interviews with experts and writing questions for them to answer. They are getting close to the March 6th deadline for their research and interviews. Students also spent time discussing the poem, “The Center” by Ha Jin, during our weekly poetry analysis. This group has profound discussions surrounding poetry and can comfortably attempt to find meaning, identify elements of pieces that are interesting, and ask questions when they seek more information. Finally, students looked at the colonization of the 13 colonies by date of establishment and colonizing country.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students wrapped up Chapter 4 with an end-of-chapter quiz to show what they’ve learned over the past few weeks. They did a great job pulling together all of the concepts they’ve been working on! Then, they jumped right into Chapter 6, “Using Multiplication.” Students began by exploring the array model to build a stronger visual understanding of multiplication. From there, they applied that understanding to multiplying fractions and mixed numbers.

Science

Middle School students kept working on their weekly science articles. This week 6^th and 7^th graders learned about Physical and Chemical properties of matter. They were able to understand the differences between them and classify them. They supported their learning with handout classwork where they identified the most common physical properties, such as color, odor, luster, magnetism, electrical conductivity, mass, volume, density, malleability, ductility, boiling point, and melting point. Students from 6th and 7th grade also learned about the chemical properties of matter, such as reactivity, flammability, combustibility, toxicity, and corrosion.

8th graders continued working on their laboratory report, where they were able to see the visual difference between a specimen with dye (Methylene Blue) and another specimen without dye. Their laboratory report was written using the Scientific method, so later on, they can analyze their results and come out with a conclusion. 8th-grade students feel very confident and familiar with using microscopes and staining slides with real specimens. Every new concept learned by middle schoolers was supported by videos and classwork.

We had another great week in Middle School. The highlight was probably at the start of the week when we had 5th grade students from Upper Elementary mix in with our grade 6/7 classes to take a trial run at Middle School. The grade 6/7 students were great hosts, and the 5th grade students left feeling excited about next year!

Announcements:

• 6th & 7th Grade Research Presentations Thursday, February 26th.CLICK HERE for more information.
• Please check for appropriate winter attire for the outdoors. Most students will go outside with their younger peers during Community Service each week.
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule
  

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Science

On Monday, 6/7 classes had “moving up day,” and our 5th graders were able to see what the science class is like in Middle School. They had a great time, and our current students were excellent role models.

Middle School students started a new chapter from the Discovery Education e-book. This week, 6^th and 7^th graders learned concepts about the states of matter, where they are found in nature, the differences between them, and how they occur. They also learned how altitude and atmospheric pressure affect the boiling point of water. Students showed a lot of interest in learning about Plasma (the fourth state of matter). They also had some classwork and videos to support the acquired knowledge.

8^th Graders started a basic lesson about microscopes and their use; they learned their parts and how they work. They were also able to navigate the use of microscopes by first understanding how to use them properly. Also, we started a new laboratory activity, preparing a specimen of onion skin and learning how to make slides. Students learned about the use of dyes (Methylene blue) to have a better contrast in order to identify onion skin cells under the microscope. Students enjoyed themselves as much as Ms. Ray did, working on hands-on projects. The class is currently working on a laboratory report of this activity.

Humanities

All Humanities classes continue to highlight notable Black Americans at the start of each class this month.

Grades 6 & 7 students continued to work on their research projects. They wrapped up their research notes this week and spent several class periods working on their essay drafts. They organized their work into three sections: What happened (identify the moment in history and any relevant background/context), The immediate impact and its effect, and the long-term effect (modern/today). The classes also had a lesson/refresh about writing introductions and completed them in class. Next week, the classes will compose a conclusion, add citations, edit, and revise their papers. They will also work on their presentations!

8th grade Humanities classes took a further look at Puritan society in colonial New England. Then, they explored the Salem Witch Trials, first looking at the Afflicted Girls. They are watching a 2024 National Geographic documentary in parts about this time in history. Additionally, each student continued to work on their expert projects, even reaching out to some experts.

Finally, in 8th grade Leadership this week, students took part in an activity called “Lion, Fox, or St. Bernard”. This involved answering two series of questions about themselves to determine their Leadership Style. The first set of questions asked them about tendencies they have and how they react in situations. The second asked them similar questions, but how they would respond under pressure. It was interesting to see how the results reflected who they are and also that their Leadership style might change when they are put under pressure.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students explored various types of angles and angle relationships, including complementary, supplementary, vertical, and linear pairs. They are now able to apply these relationships to determine the measure of unknown angles with confidence. Students also began their introduction to algebraic equations, learning how to solve for missing variables and build a strong foundation for future algebraic thinking.

Transition: Students made excellent progress this week as they mastered solving one-step algebraic equations and inequalities. They also learned how to accurately graph inequalities on a number line, reinforcing their understanding of solution sets. After completing Chapter 5 with an end-of-chapter assessment, students eagerly began Chapter 6, where they were introduced to geometric transformations and the concepts that will guide our next unit of study.

Algebra: In Algebra, students wrapped up Chapter 4 and transitioned smoothly into Chapter 5. So far, they have developed an understanding of algebraic fractions, including what they represent and how they function. Students are now able to multiply and simplify algebraic fractions, continuing to strengthen both their procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.

Geometry: Geometry students have been moving full steam ahead in Chapter 4. This week, they completed their study of geometric transformations and can confidently perform translations, rotations, and reflections. Students are developing a deeper understanding of how figures change position and orientation while preserving key properties.

Algebra II: Algebra II students concluded Chapter 3 and began Chapter 4, diving into the study of matrices. They are learning how to create data matrices, interpret elements within a matrix, and understand how matrices are used to organize and analyze information. This new topic is building their analytical skills and expanding their mathematical toolkit.

The Middle School started the week with their performance of Spoiler Alert! for students in Primary, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary. Afterwards, students in Lower and Upper Elementary stayed for a question-and-answer session about the writing and production process.

It was a great week to be outside at recess in the snow with temperatures slightly warmer than last week. Sledding has become a favorite activity while outside for many of the middle school students.

Announcements:

• Monday, 2/9: Moving Up Day (Gr. 5 to join 6/7 classes for the day). 
• 6th & 7th Grade Research Presentations Thursday, February 26th.CLICK HERE for more information.
• Please check for appropriate winter attire for the outdoors. Most students will go outside with their younger peers during Community Service each week.
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am
• MS Flower Schedule

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, students reviewed related facts while exploring angle relationships created by intersecting lines. They practiced identifying acute, obtuse, right, complementary, and supplementary angles and used angle properties to find unknown measures. Students also built confidence subtracting positive and negative fractions and mixed numbers.

Transition: Students stepped further into algebra by using fact triangles to connect addition and subtraction. They practiced solving equations and inequalities in the form x + a = b and x + a < b, and they learned how to graph those solutions on a number line as well as a graph.

Algebra: Students worked on solving linear equations and inequalities with variables on both sides. They wrapped up the week by tackling literal equations and rearranging formulas to solve for a specific variable.

Geometry: After finishing Chapter 3 with a quiz, students began Chapter 4, Congruence Transformations. They learned how to reflect figures across a line of reflection and explored the Reflection Postulate and how reflections affect orientation.

Algebra II: Students learned how to find the line of best fit for data and explored both explicit and recursive formulas for sequences. They also practiced graphing recursive formulas and finished the week learning how to write formulas for linear (arithmetic) sequences.

Science

After immersion week, Middle School students got back to work on their debate project. They were very engaged in doing research to build their arguments. In their research, they used reliable sources to look for evidence to support their strongest arguments. Students from 6^th-7^th grade’s debate was about the usage of electric cars. They had two teams: Team Pro and Team Con.  Each team had between 3 and 5 members who participated actively in the debate. Each member of the team had 2 minutes to support their 3 strongest arguments with evidence and reasoning (using the CER framework to build their arguments). Each member of the team got very engaged, and they all did their best to convince the other team to switch sides.

8^th graders also had a similar project; they worked hard doing research on general understanding about Stem Cell Research. In 8^th Grade, they also had two teams: Pro and Con. Students got very engaged with the topic and supported their arguments in a very strong way with a lot of technical information. Each team started their debate, presenting their three strongest arguments, one rebuttal, and a closing statement. They were very persuasive in exposing their arguments and were clear that their job was to convince the other team to switch to the other side. All middle schoolers’ favorite part was the rebuttal, and they did a great job. They followed the guidelines and participated in the debate in a very respectful way. Ms. Liset was very pleased with the result of their first debate of the year.

Humanities

During Black History Month, all Humanities classes will begin by celebrating Black American leaders, innovators, and trailblazers.

6th and 7th-grade students worked diligently on their research projects this week. They focused on transferring information from annotated articles to notesheets using the Cornell Note-Taking Method. This process helped students organize their research by source and topic. By annotating their articles first, students demonstrated greater success in paraphrasing key and important information. In addition, students developed thesis statements for the essays they will begin writing next week.

The 8th-grade Humanities classes focused on their Expert Projects this week. Each student had an extended check-in with Mrs. Lamb to ensure they were making progress with their research, staying focused on their thesis statements and intended focus, and creating goals for the next check-in. Additionally, some members of the class composed drafts of emails to send to potential experts. Finally, the week ended with a bit of history, learning about the separatists who settled Massachusetts.

Announcements:

• Monday, 2/2: Student Performance of Spoiler Alert!, breaking the set, and cast party
• SCHEDULE CHANGE: 6th & 7th Grade Research Presentations Thursday, February 26th. More information to come this week.
• Please check for appropriate winter attire for the outdoors. Most students will go outside with their younger peers during Community Service each week.
• MS ARRIVAL BEGINS AT 8 am: As teachers enter the building and prepare for the day, supervision will begin at 8 am. Please stay with your child/children until this time. Thank you for your help!
• MS Flower Schedule

Wow! After an incredibly quick immersion week, Friday night’s show of  Spoiler Alert! was a huge success. As the set and curtains started going up on the stage, students really became focused and zoned in on their acting. With the addition of mics and costumes, the characters came to life!

It is always wonderful to hear the students speak about the process in the Q & A segment after the show with the audience. It is a way of reflection. Another way we reflect on what worked and what challenges we had during immersion is by writing about it, which students will do next week.

Something that has really stood out over the last couple of years was the number of parents who said their MS child/children kept details of the production a surprise. While there has never been a conversation about keeping our production a secret, hearing this just proves how incredibly proud they were to show you their hard work.

It’s hard to take the set down and go back to normal, but the benefits of Middle School immersion will be present for the rest of the year. Going through the experience brings the Middle School even closer to a cohesive team. We have noticed it!

We will conclude our time with Spoiler Alert! on Monday with a student performance, followed by breaking down the set and a cast party.

Thank you for all of your support. We hope you enjoyed the show! Back to the regular schedule and classes on Tuesday.