Middle School: Incredible Week Before Break!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

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.

Math

It was another exciting week in Middle School Math! While the 8th Grade was interning, 6th and 7th grade students dove into some Project-Based Learning! Students were given a budget and had to plan a dream vacation that did not exceed that budget. They chose a location, researched flights and hotels, factored in the cost of gasoline and a rental car, and even researched restaurants to budget the cost of meals. It was so much fun watching them work together to problem-solve and make compromises to be able to complete the task successfully.

To round out the week in Pre-Transition, students jumped into Chapter 5, titled “Using Multiplication.” Students learned about the Array Model for Multiplication and learned how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers.

The Transition class moved forward in their learning of Chapter 6 this week. They continued exploring translations of images and became experts at rotating figures about a point and on a graph.

Algebra students continued their journey in Chapter 6. They practiced finding the slope of a line on a graph as well as through two given points. They can also use the definition and properties of slope.

Finally, the Geometry class continued on with Chapter 6. They can now apply theorems about isosceles triangles to find angle measures and segment lengths. They can also calculate the measures of inscribed angles from the measures of intercepted arcs and vice versa.

The Middle School is ready for an action-packed final week leading into break! See you Thursday night!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Hello, Middle School families! We hope you stayed warm this week. Here’s what is coming up:

  • Monday, 2/24-Wednesday, 2/26: 8th Grade away for their Internships
  • Thursday, 3/6 @ 5:30: 6th and 7th Grade Research Presentations
  • Friday, 3/7, 9:15-2:30: Middle School Trip to Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven.

Humanities

Middle School Humanities students continue to draw inspiration from contemporary artist Nick Cave, who combines fashion design, folk craft, and performance in his “Sound Suits.” Check out some of the students’ work in the gallery!

The 6th Grade Humanities students were busy this week! They are turning their research for their Overcoming Obstacles research project into an expository essay. They developed introductions with hooks and thesis statements, and they continued on their essay drafts. They will complete their drafts in their research draft organizer and add a conclusion for Monday. Students were reminded that first drafts are your best drafts as they showcase your best effort with what you know before peer and teacher review. Next week, students will learn how to use in-text citations, add transitions for fluency, develop a title, and format their paper.

7th Grade Humanities class continues to move forward with their projects. Students drafted their research essays surrounding the theme of Overcoming Obstacles. Next week, peer and teacher reviews of the essay drafts will be held. Students will also begin to work on their presentations. Additionally, students are closer to presenting their utopia projects to the middle school community as they prepare their presentations after considering and writing about the many components of a society that are deemed, in their eyes, perfect.

8th Grade students continued their unit about the evolution of White Europeans by looking at the motivations for English colonization. They read about “Gold Fever” and “Terminal Narratives” and wrote about economic factors driving the English. Then, they took time to learn about the lost colony of Roanoke and consider its potential impacts on future European settlements. In addition, students continue to move forward with their Expert Project research, and they spent time reviewing the Internship Project guidelines for their work next week.

8th Grade Embedded Honors students completed their literature journals for their second novel in the Comparative Literature project this trimester. They also had another discussion with Mr. Newman after finishing their second autobiography/memoir. Next week, they will write a comparative essay surrounding the central people in their chosen texts using evidence to support their claims.

Math

It was an engaging week in Middle School math!

This week in Pre-Transition, students tied up loose ends for Chapter 4. Students practiced more with subtracting fractions and mixed numbers and worked to solve equations with fact triangles.

The Transition class moved forward in their learning of Chapter 6 this week. They continued exploring translations of images, practiced reflecting figures on a coordinate graph and over a line, and practiced drawing lines of symmetry.

Algebra students started the week solving proportions and finding lengths and ratios in similar figures. Algebra closed the week by diving into Chapter 6, Slopes and Lines. They began learning how to calculate rates of change and closed out the week by discovering how to find the slope of a line through two given points.

Finally, the Geometry class jumped into Chapter 6, titled Polygons and Symmetry. Students can now describe figures’ reflection and rotation symmetry and apply theorems about isosceles triangles to find angle measures and segment lengths.

Science

This week in science, the 6th Grade class moved further into their new unit on Earth’s Systems. Students were introduced to The Globe Project, a formal group that collects environmental data from novices and professionals alike. Students looked at cloud data this week and examined cloud coverage, sky color, type of cloud, clouds’ altitude, and opacity. They then moved into discussing how clouds affect climate and how climate affects clouds. Next week, students will look at data from known storm systems and try to identify patterns in storm behavior.
7th Grade students delved deeper into ions, isotopes, and atomic behaviors. Students were tasked with identifying patterns of electron behavior and were asked to make predictions about what electrons are likely to do. Students also explored which elements have isotopes and how likely they are to exist in nature. This led to talking about how to use this information to calculate the average atomic mass of elements. Next week, the class will begin discussing radioactivity and bonding behavior.
This week began with 8th Grade students performing a lab looking at onion root tips and using what they saw under the microscope to identify cells in different parts of the cell cycle. The class then used class data from their lab to examine what stages of the cell cycle cells spend time in. This led to a discussion about what is average/normal for a cell, which led to a conversation about what happens to a cell when it spends more time in phases than it should. Students ended the week by delving further into meiosis and investigating how it differs from mitosis. They finished by talking about spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Next week, students will learn more about cell cycle controls and what abnormalities can occur should a cell avoid these controls.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Another great week in Middle School! We extended our Community Service this week to create Brian Bags as part of the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project. We were able to create about 60 bags that will be handed to people who are homeless in CT to give them a hand-up. The bags include food, water, a first aid kit, socks, and personal hygiene products. The Middle School and Upper El students met with Donna, the non-profit’s founder, who spoke with them about the homeless population and dispelled some misconceptions about those who are homeless as well.

MS students also had a Valentine’s snack on Friday, and those who chose to bring in Valentines distributed them to classmates. Here are some announcements:

  • Please continue to encourage your children to come with appropriate winter apparel. (Overall, this has been a huge improvement over the last week, so thank you!)
  • February 24-26: 8th Grade Internships
  • March 6th @ 5:30 pm: Middle School Research Night for Grades 6 & 7 (8th-grade students are encouraged to attend and support their classmates).

 

Humanities

All Humanities classes continue to celebrate Black History Month with daily mini-presentations celebrating a notable Black American. They also continue to work on their designs for their Nick Cave-inspired Sound Suits with Ms. Sara and Mrs. Reid.

6th and 7th grade Humanities class continue to work on their research projects surrounding the theme, Overcoming Obstacles. 6th grade final research notes are due on Tuesday, and 7th grade completed their research for Friday and are writing their introductions to their essays over the weekend. The 7th grade will also wrap up their Utopia projects with presentations at the end of next week. Who will want to live in their Utopian Communities?

8th grade studied early European explorers, learning about their goals for exploring if they met them and the impact they had on the areas they explored. They also have begun their research for their Expert Projects and discussed the expectations for finding and interviewing experts in the fields they are studying.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, students closed out their learning of Chapter 4. Students started out the week by learning to subtract positive and negative integers, fractions, and mixed numbers. They also learned to convert mixed numbers into improper fractions. Then, students continued into solving equations with fact triangles involving addition and subtraction. Finally, students used the Addition Property of Inequality to help solve simple equations.
 

Transition: Students dove into Chapter 6 this week titled, “Some Important Geometry Ideas.” Students began exploring figure transformations by learning how to translate and reflect figures on a coordinate graph and over a line. Then, students determined the reflection and rotation symmetries of a figure and drew the rotation image of a point or figure.

Algebra: This week, students wrapped up their learning of Chapter 5 concepts. Students began the week learning how to calculate relative frequencies and probabilities and interpreted the meaning of percentile for benchmarks of 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile. Then, students moved on to solving proportions and finding lengths and ratios in similar figures.
Geometry: This week, students concluded their learning of Chapter 5. Students started their week by discovering the meaning of Auxiliary Figures of Congruence. They practiced using the Triangle-Sum, Quadrilateral-Sum, and Polygon-Sum Theorems to determine angle measures. Students also practiced drawing auxiliary figures to aid proofs and telling whether or not they are uniquely determined.

Science

6th grade:
This week in Science, students did a deeper dive into the water cycle.  They read an article written and published by the EPA in which information about the importance of conserving freshwater was highlighted.  Students then, working in small groups, had to summarize the article in their own words and post their findings around the room for others to read.  They discussed their takeaways and then returned to small groups to write a persuasive article urging others to conserve water.  The students did an excellent job!
7 grade:
Students began the week furthering their knowledge of the periodic table by looking at trends in atomic number, atomic mass, atomic radius, and familial similarities.  They then moved into discussing ions and isotopes and began making predictions about what elements are most likely to do based on where they lie on the periodic table.  The class closed the week by checking their understanding using an online simulation game written by the American Chemical Society.
8 grade:
In science this week, students started the week using an online simulation, written by PBS, to solidify their knowledge on mitosis (asexual reproduction), and closed the week working to understand meiosis (sexual reproduction).  They were asked to make predictions about what a cell might do should it need to then combine with another.  Students were given cell cards to arrange in a logical order, and all rose to the challenge!  The class then used their takeaways from the cell card activity to examine meiosis in greater detail.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It was an exciting week with both a field trip and a snow day! Our field trip to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT, was a huge success. It is of no surprise that educators there were impressed not only with the knowledge of FWM students’ art techniques but of their critical thinking skills and ability to speak so profoundly about art.

Announcements:

  • Please continue bringing in weather-appropriate apparel. Thank you for your effort with this!
  • No School: Monday, 2/17 for Presidents’ Day
  • 8th Grade Internships: Monday, 2/24- Wednesday, 2/26

Humanities

It is Black History Month, so all humanities classes this month will begin with a brief presentation on influential Black Americans. They will also be working with Ms. Sara and Ms. Reid on a project inspired by contemporary artist, Nick Caves.

Additionally, all humanities classes began their research projects this week!

6th graders chose their topics for their research topics, developed goals, and wrote questions to launch their research. They also had lessons in finding reliable resources and well as taking research notes for the project. Next week, students will learn how to develop their thesis statements and complete their research. This is their only homework for the week, so they should be working on it each night.

7th graders also chose their research topics and completed topic proposals with rough thesis statements and questions to guide their research. They received a brief review in finding reliable resources as well as taking research notes. Finally, they are picking up their Utopia Projects and will complete those over the next week in conjunction with their research. Research is their only homework, so they should be working on it nightly.

8th graders finished their topic proposals and drafts of their thesis statements for Expert Projects. This is an exciting capstone project for FWM Middle School students that will carry them into mid-May. Students are also seeking out opportunities for their internships at the end of the month. Finally, in their US history class, 8th graders are studying the evolution of White Europeans beginning with the Age of Exploration.

Science

6th graders started a new unit this week, Earth’s Systems. The focus this week was Energy Transfer and the Water Cycle.  Students learned the roles the sun and wind play in the water cycle and how Earth has a specific amount of water that goes through a constant cycle. Next week, students will work on an experiment to demonstrate this cycle.
7th graders reviewed basic atomic structure and began exploring the periodic table. They learned how the periodic table is arranged into rows and columns, periods, and families. The class also discussed the major groupings in the periodic table: metals, metalloids, non-metals, and noble gases. Next week, students will conduct experimentation to explore the properties of each of these groupings.
8th graders reviewed the cell cycle and mitosis. Students reviewed the importance of Interphase in preparing the cell for cell division and discussed how cells spend the majority of their time in this preparation stage. They then reviewed the phases of mitosis and what occurs during each. Next week, students will work on an experiment looking at mitosis in onion root tip cells, and they will begin to discuss what can occur when cell division goes awry or unregulated.

Math

It was an incredibly productive and engaging week in Middle School math! After an action-packed January filled with the excitement of the Math Carnival and the Middle School Play, students in all four math courses were eager to dive back into the curriculum. The week kicked off with a fun review session that helped students refresh their math skills. Through whole-class discussions, students revisited key concepts learned prior to the Math Carnival, with plenty of opportunities to actively engage. They practiced problem-solving on their whiteboards, collaborated in pairs to tackle more challenging problems, and wrapped up the week with an independent “show me what you remember” assignment. This assignment will be invaluable for assessing which concepts have truly “stuck” and which will need further attention before moving on to new material. It’s been a great balance of reinforcing prior learning while preparing for the exciting challenges ahead!

Middle School: That’s a Wrap for Set in Stone!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

MORE AWESOME PICTURES OF THE SHOW HERE

Reminders:

  • Tuesday, 2/4 9:15-1:30pm-MS & UE field trip to The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Please send your student(s) with a bagged lunch.

Wow! After an incredible two weeks of immersion, Thursday night’s final show of  Set in Stone was a huge success. As the set and curtains started going up on the stage during week two, 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 did on Thursday and Friday.

Something that really stood out this year 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 already noticed it!

We ended the week with bagels, pajamas, ice cream sundaes, and a watch party.

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

Middle School: Immersion Week #1

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Wow! What a busy week preparing for next week’s production of Set in Stone. The finalized script was read on Tuesday, and from there, students have been in a flurry of set design, prop creating, blocking, and line memorizing. The stage went up, and the lights and sound arrived on Friday afternoon. While there is still a lot of work to be done, students are halfway there!

We can’t wait to welcome you to the show on Thursday, 1/30 @ 7 pm. The call time for students is 6 pm, and the gym is open to the audience at 6:30 pm.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

What a week! Middle School held their annual Math Carnival on Friday for families and students and finished writing the 2025 Middle School Play, Set in Stone.

Announcements:

  • Tuesday, 1/21- Thursday, 1/30: Middle School Immersion –*Additional information below*
  • Thursday, 1/30: Middle School Play at 7 pm in the Gym
  • Tuesday, 2/4: MS Field Trip to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Students will leave school at 9:30 am and return by 1:30 pm.

Math

This week in Middle School math, students engaged in an exciting blend of critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on learning. After designing and refining their own Math Carnival games, they took the opportunity to test each other’s creations. They collected data to calculate experimental probabilities and analyze the results. The experience provided a valuable hands-on application of math concepts, allowing students to connect theory with practice in a fun and interactive way.

The week ended with the 5th Annual Math Carnival, a lively event where students showcased their hard work and math skills. It was an afternoon of friendly competition, laughter, and learning as Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary students played the carnival games.

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended and supported our Middle School math students. Your presence helped make the event successful and created lasting memories for everyone!

Humanities

Students completed week two of playwriting. Their original script, Set in Stone, is ready for final editing and will be finalized for the start of Immersion Week 1 on Tuesday.

Immersion Weeks involve turning the script that students created over the last two weeks into a full production. This includes creating the set and props with Ms. Reid and Mr. Frisk, working with Mrs. Kirk to block the scenes, memorizing lines, learning how to run the tech for the show, and moving the set and props on and off the stage as needed for each scene of the show. During the first week, students will be blocking the show until lunch and then continue with classes in the afternoon. During the second week, rehearsals will run the full day leading up to a performance for students on Wednesday, 1/29, during school and a final evening performance on Thursday, 1/30, at 7 pm.

*Be on the look-out for additional communication about the show in the coming week.*

Science

6th grade:
This week in science, students learned how to find the epicenter of an earthquake using data from three seismic stations. Students learned how to interpret seismograms in order to calculate the distance between P-waves and S-waves and how to use that knowledge to calculate the distance of an earthquake event from a seismic station. Once students knew the distance of an earthquake from each station, they were able to use triangulation in order to locate the epicenter of an earthquake event.  Students enjoyed acting as scientists and appreciated the real-world application of our work.  This will complete this unit.  Once students return to science class from immersion week for the play, they will begin a new unit on Earth’s Systems.
7th grade:
This week marked the class’ introduction to atomic structure and the periodic table.  Students learned the basic components of an atom – protons, neutrons, and electrons.  They talked about how the number of protons, or the atomic number, of an element determines its identity. Students learned how to find the number of electrons in each atom and also how to find the number of neutrons.  The class finished the week by touching on ions and isotopes.  Students will continue this topic after the play.
8th grade:
Students worked hard this week learning about the cell cycle and cell division as well as the role it plays in every living organism. The class touched on the difference between asexual and sexual reproduction and dove into a deep study of asexual reproduction. Students learned how cell division occurs, complete with the steps of the cell cycle, including interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis.  The class also learned what chromosomes are and how they divide during mitosis.  This brought up many questions about cancer and genetics, which were worked through in class.  When the class returns from immersion weeks, they will return their attention to cell division, but the focus will be on sexual reproduction and meiosis.