Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

We had a great week in middle school! We had a few special experiences, including a Veteran’s Day Presentation and our trip to CVH. First, we were able to hear from Jennifer Mills, an FWM parent, retired Navy officer, and former diplomat. She gave a comprehensive presentation about who veterans are in our country and the different branches of the military. Next, Our middle schoolers enjoyed a hands-on learning day at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Using the beautiful Learning Barn and industrial kitchen, students worked in groups to bake breads that will be shared with our school community on Tuesday, November 25. They then headed onto the trails with the CVHAS education team, where they explored the sanctuary while “thinking like animals.” Students imagined how bats and bears find food, choose shelter, and prepare for hibernation. It was a meaningful day of teamwork, creativity, and outdoor learning!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE OUTDOORS: As part of our program, we regularly spend time outdoors throughout the school year. This includes time outside in the colder, winter months and even when there is snow on the ground. Please ensure students are dressed for the seasonal weather with an outer layer that can withstand colder temperatures for up to 30 minutes. We require a jacket as well as covered arms and legs when temperatures dip below 50°F. This is a great time of year to send in a pair of gloves and a hat to keep in lockers. Also, start thinking about winter boots for those days we will be out in the snow as crocs and athletic shoes are not suitable. Thank you for your attention to this.

Announcements:

  • Check with your MS student(s) to make sure they have their refillable water bottle with them. 
  • Monday, 11/17 – Wednesday, 11/19: 8th Grade Internships
  • MS Flower Schedule

Math

Pre-Transition: Pre-Transition started the week off with a review of all Chapter 2 concepts, before demonstrating their knowledge on the Chapter 2 assessment. Then, students dove headfirst into Chapter 3, learning how to use fractions to add mixed numbers or numbers with mixed units.

Transition: This week, students continued their journey in Chapter 3. They became experts at ordering and comparing decimals and fractions, and learned to graph and read numbers on number lines and coordinate grids. Students learned how to find the greatest common factor and least common multiple of two numbers, and are able to use the equal-fractions property to rewrite fractions in order to add and subtract them.
Algebra: Students in Algebra continued their learning of Chapter 3 this week, which is all about linear equations and inequalities. Students learned to solve problems involving equations in the form y = mx + b using tables or graphs. They also learned how to solve for variables in multi-step equations.
Geometry: Students began Chapter 3 this week, titled “Angles and Lines”. So far, students are able to draw and analyze drawings of angles, find the degree measure of arcs and central angles, and can draw and analyze rotation images.
Algebra II: Students wrapped up their learning of Chapter 2 concepts this week! They can now fit a model to data, use the Fundamental Theorem of Variation, and translate variation language into formulas and formulas into variation language.
Science
This week, Middle School students are back to work in the regular curriculum of science. All students are learning and understanding some of the most common properties of matter, such as mass, volume, length, temperature, and density. Students were able to add to their knowledge to support these concepts with a hands-on experience: Measurement Lab. In this class, they had to measure the above-mentioned properties of some random objects that were found in class. Students also learned how to measure the mass of objects using a triple beam balance in grams. Overall, the most important concept they learned was the difference between mass and weight, and how gravity has an impact on weight. They understood that an object would never change its mass, but it would change its weight (depending on the gravity of its location). In addition, they learned that the average gravity on Earth is 9,807 m/s^2.
Humanities
6th and 7th grade classes worked hard this week. They finished up their drafts for their final writing piece called “A Letter to Father”, where they assumed the point of view of Ailin, the protagonist in Ties That Bind, Ties That Break, writing to her father about the choices she made in her life after his passing. This assignment had students not only reflect on the plot of the novel, but on the time period after the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the Cultural Revolution, tying together the history they learned and important events in the book. Next, the classes began their unit on Sub-Saharan Africa. They completed maps labeling countries and their capital cities in the region and became “tourists” as they used Google Earth to put themselves on the ground in these places. Additionally, they spoke about the other physical features of this region of the world and their effects on the way people live.
8th grade Humanities class was also busy this week. They focused on the following regarding the Virginia Colony: the impact of tobacco, establishing government, and the formation of social class, including Bacon’s Rebellion. The class also began reading their class novel, If I Ever Get Out of Here, by Eric Gansworth. This book follows Lewis, a middle school student who lives on the Tuscarora Reservation during the 1970s, and his experiences going to a school outside of the reservation. The 8th grade students are ready to head out on their internships next week!

Middle School: Science Fair & Diwali

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

With two exciting events this week, the Middle School was busy! The culmination of a month-long science project resulted in a successful Science Fair on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, students gathered in the gym and listened to a presentation celebrating Diwali given by classmates. Students were even able to participate in an Indian dance and sample some delicious Indian cuisine.

A special thanks to the 8th-grade Leadership class for organizing a successful food drive this past week. The 8th grade organized the donations, checked for expiration dates, and loaded the vehicles for delivery. The FAITH Food Pantry in Newtown was grateful for the generosity of our school community. Thank you to all who donated!

Announcements:

  • Please ensure students are dressed for the seasonal weather with an outer layer, as we will continue to go outside. We require a jacket as well as covered arms and legs when temperatures dip below 50°F.
  • Check with your MS student(s) to make sure they have their refillable water bottle with them. 
  • Monday, 11/17 – Wednesday, 11/19: 8th Grade Internships
  • MS Flower Schedule

More About Science Fair

A middle school Science Fair is an exciting event where students get to explore their curiosity and research projects. It allows them to apply the scientific method to investigate questions about the world around them, in Biology, physics, and chemistry. During the fair, students presented their projects on display boards, shared their understanding and findings with other students and parents. Middle school students were able to practice their communication and critical thinking skills. This year, there were a variety of interesting projects, including a basic introduction to microbiology and how the presence of microbes is everywhere in our surroundings. All students followed the safety rules and protocols while they performed their experiments. The FWM Science Fair is a way to encourage students to learn through discovery and help them develop confidence in their scientific abilities.

Middle School: Happy Halloween!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Upcoming Announcements:

  • Wednesday, 11/5, 2 pm: Middle School Science Fair
  • Monday, 11/17 – Wednesday, 11/19: 8th Grade Internships
  • MS Flower Schedule

This week, our Middle School students showed incredible leadership and kindness as they teamed up with our youngest learners for their trip to the Peace Garden Pumpkin Patch! They helped pull wagons, guided students through the pumpkin patch, and held their hands as they picked out the perfect pumpkin to take home. It was heartwarming to see our older students being such wonderful role models and making the day extra special for the younger classes.

We also kept the Halloween spirit going with our annual Costume Parade. Students showed off their costumes, some of which were even created here during MakerSpace!

To wrap up the week, Middle Schoolers enjoyed a Halloween celebration filled with sweet treats. It was a fun and festive week that reminded us how our special school community is full of teamwork, creativity, and lots of smiles!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Thank you for the wonderful conferences with your children this week. It is such a pleasure to be able to meet together and talk about the growth and goals of the Middle School students. Ending the week with Halloween Movie Night was fun!

Humanities

6th and 7th grade Humanities classes continued their study of China. This week, they learned more about the Great Wall, the end of Imperial China, and a few of the events leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty, particularly the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion. Additionally, the classes are learning how to annotate an article when reading for information. For Poetry Tuesday, students read “Litany” by Billy Collins. This humorous poem that makes fun of traditional love poems had students reading a variety of metaphors. In addition to choosing their favorite metaphors in the piece, they were charged with writing one as if it had been published with the poem.

8th grade Humanities classes consisted of completing memoir drafts, self-editing, and peer editing their pieces. The class also worked on sentence structure, focusing on compound sentences. On Poetry Tuesday, students read the poem “The Swingset” by Grace Walton. This poem led to a conversation surrounding nostalgia and growing up.

Math

Pre-Transition: The week began with a review of the Chapter 2 skills that have been covered so far, including identifying place values, comparing and ordering decimals and fractions, multiplying by multiples of 10, and rounding. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday and wrapped up the week learning how to round numbers to the nearest, next, or preceding number. 

Transition: The week kicked off with a review of the Chapter 2 concepts we’ve learned so far, including writing descriptions of patterns using variables, translating words into algebraic expressions, and evaluating algebraic expressions given the values of the variables. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday, and closed out the week learning the Pythagorean Theorem.
Algebra: Students in Algebra practiced using the distributive property to expand and combine like terms as well as using the Opposites Property to simplify expressions. Students also reviewed ways to test equivalence among expressions and took the Chapter 2 quiz on Tuesday. The week finished with learning ways to use related facts in order to solve algebraic expressions.
Geometry: Geometry began the week with some review on distinguishing between convex and nonconvex figures, writing conditional statements as well as the converse, and understanding the properties of a good definition. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday and wrapped up the week by learning the meaning of unions and intersections when looking at figures.

Algebra II: Students continued working with direct variation and inverse variation functions. Then, they dove into the Fundamental Theorem of Variation. The week wrapped up with the Chapter 2 quiz, learning how to find slopes and rates of change, and how to graph variation equations.

Science
This week, Middle School students continued working on their Science Fair Projects, which will be ready for exhibition on November 5th. All students are very excited and working hard on testing their experimental designs. Some students finished their experiments and obtained their results and data. Now, some of them are working on their conclusions to finalize that part of the project. This week, we conducted several experiments, including: “Solar Oven,” “Culturing Microorganisms Collected in the Outdoor Classroom,” “Strawberry DNA Extraction,” “How People Differentiate Real Images from AI,” “Phototropism in Plants,” “How to Make Organic Lipstick/Blush from Cochineal,” and “What is the Best Solution to Preserve Broccoli from Degradation?” among others. At the same time, other students worked on their research papers, and others started working on their display boards.

Here are some upcoming announcements:

  • Thursday, 10/30: Halloween Celebration in school. More info to come!
  • No School 10/31
  • Wednesday, 11/5 2 pm: Middle School Science Fair
  • Monday, 11/17-Wednesday, 11/19: 8th Grade Internships
  •  MS Flower Schedule

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

 

What a beautiful week! There were even three birthdays that were celebrated! The MS is taking advantage of all of the nice fall weather until we are too cold to stay out for long in the winter months. We are so lucky to have been able to spend half of our day on Thursday outside at both the Stream Study and the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Also, 8th-grade Leadership baked over 80 Snickerdoodle cookies for Oktoberfest (and some to share with their classmates). Here’s a quick class update:

Humanities

In grades 6 & 7 Humanities, students presented their research about the dynasties of China. The classes made connections over time, and they spent some time exploring the innovations, architecture, and art that were developed in China during the times of the dynasties. Additionally, they completed their first class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka! They ended the week in student-led, small group discussions using questions they developed in the final chapters of the book.

The 8th-grade Humanities class has been learning about the notion of “first contact” between Indigenous Americans and Europeans. They learned that there were many “first contacts,” as there were over 1,000 tribal nations, and they took place over the course of about 200 years. They honed in on some of the explorers during the Age of Exploration and briefly learned of some of their journeys. Unsurprisingly, the main motivator for European exploration was gold and riches. Additionally, 8th-grade students are in various places in their personal memoir essays. It is amazing to see how each student has learned about themselves as writers and has a unique process they use when drafting. Upon their draft completion, students will self-edit and revise and, with peers (if they choose), conference with Mrs. Lamb, and complete a final revision.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students worked on identifying place values in a decimal number. They were given a helpful place value tool, which helped them build their confidence in reading decimal numbers aloud. They also practiced comparing and ordering decimals, fractions, and percents from least to greatest. Students learned how to multiply decimals by multiples of 10, as well as by fractions such as 1/10, 1/100, etc. We wrapped up the week by learning to round decimals to the nearest, next, or preceding place value.

Transition: This week in Transition, students learned how to describe and represent patterns using variables, exploring how relationships between numbers can be expressed algebraically and shown in tables. They practiced translating words into algebraic expressions and evaluating expressions by substituting values for variables. These skills help build a strong foundation for understanding formulas and real-world problem-solving. Students will review these concepts on Monday and take the Chapter 1 Quiz on Tuesday, October 21.
Algebra: This week in Algebra, students focused on using the Distributive Property to expand expressions, remove parentheses, and combine like terms. They practiced applying this property to mental math and real-world problems, strengthening their ability to simplify and solve expressions efficiently. Students also explored how algebra can be used to explain and solve number puzzles, connecting reasoning skills to fun, logical challenges. Students will review these concepts on Monday and take the Chapter 1 Quiz on Tuesday, October 21.
Geometry: This week in Geometry, students learned about the importance of clear and precise definitions and how they connect to logical reasoning. They explored conditional statements, converses, and biconditionals, practicing how to identify, write, and interpret “if-then” statements using symbols and real-world examples. Students also used Venn diagrams to visualize relationships between statements and discussed what makes a good definition – clear, specific, and reversible. Students will take the Chapter 1 Quiz on Monday, October 20.
Algebra II: This week in Algebra II, students continued solving direct variation problems and learned about inverse variations as well. The week wrapped up with the Fundamental Theorem of Variation.
Science
This week, Middle School students started to design their experiments for the Science Fair on November 5. They are very excited to be working on them. Students are working hard on their hypotheses and experimental designs. Some students ran their experiments this week, while others are in the process of obtaining results and will run them next week. Each student is presenting an individual project, and there is a wide variety of them. Some experiments that were done this week included “Coin Battery,” “The Effect of Music on People’s Reaction,” “Growing Bacteria,” “Gummy Bear Osmosis,” and “Freezing Point in Different Solutions.” There are a few more that are still in process, and students are waiting for results. Meanwhile, some students began working on their research paper to document their science experiment.
In addition, this week, the Middle School visited the Catherine Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, and the second group of students had hands-on experience collecting samples from the Benthic Zone of the Pootatuck River, collaborating with a study on the health of Connecticut’s waters. Students were able to transfer all the macroinvertebrates that they gathered into trays for closer observation, identification, and classification. In this opportunity, the group collected a broader range of macroinvertebrates, highlighting the presence of three highly sought-after species, including Body-Builder Mayfly, Brush Legged Mayfly, and Common Stonefly. Students also found the following insects: Common Netspinner, Fingernet Caddis, Three-Tailed Flathead Mayfly, Dobsonfly, Scud, Aquatic worm, Crayfish, Cranefly, and Riffle Beetle. The group had an Identification Chart to keep track of their findings. This amazing opportunity gave students the chance to become scientists for the day and learn more about the health of their local waterways. Finally, they selected a few samples of each species and prepared them to be shipped off to the State of Connecticut for further study.

  • Friday, 10/24: Conference Day for students, parents, and teachers.  They are available in the SignUps Module on MyFWM. Some teachers have availability earlier in the week as well.
  • MS Halloween Movie Night: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:00-8:30 pm: Click Here to RSVP
We are looking forward to another great week ahead!

Middle School: Team Building at the Adventure Park

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Here are some upcoming announcements:

This week, Middle School students had an exciting day filled with teamwork, courage, and outdoor fun at the Adventure Park at The Discover Museum! Students couldn’t wait to explore the ropes courses, zip lines, and challenging elements waiting among the trees. The park encouraged everyone to step out of their comfort zones while working together to problem-solve and support one another. Whether it was cheering on a classmate who was nervous about a tall obstacle or celebrating after completing a tricky course, the sense of teamwork and encouragement was incredible to see. Students learned valuable lessons about communication, perseverance, and trust, all while having a blast! It was wonderful to see them challenge themselves, take risks, and realize just how much they are capable of when they put their minds to it.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Hope you’ve had a great week!

Here are some upcoming announcements:

  • PLEASE CHECK FLOWER SCHEDULE: When it is your flower week, please arrive closer to 8am in order to prepare flowers for the MS classrooms. Thank you for your attention to this!
  • Tuesday, 10/7: Team Building day @ The Adventure Park. 9 am-2 pm. Please sign the waiver here and pack a lunch with snacks. Closed-toed sneakers needed (no Crocs).
  • Thursday, 10/16: Catherine Violet Hubbard Stream Study & Sanctuary Visit. Here is the Permission Form that can be printed and signed. Hard copies are available at school. PLEASE read this for the attire needed for this visit.
  • Friday, 10/24: Conference Day for students, parents, and teachers. Look for school communication for Sign Up Links. They will be available in the SignUps Module on MyFWM. Some teachers have availability earlier in the week as well.
  • SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

8th Grade Leadership

8th grade students had another high school visit on Tuesday. They gave a tour to visitors from Henry Abbott Technical School in Danbury this week and also listened to a presentation given by Ms. V and students currently studying there. It was great to hear from the upperclassmen as they gave honest and informative information to the students.

The 8th grade Leadership team also completed the design for this year’s annual FWM sweatshirt in time for the chilly days of fall! Come to Oktoberfest on 10/18 to see the design. First orders will be taken that day as well!

Humanities

This week, grades 6 & 7 continued to read in their class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break.  Students are having thoughtful conversations surrounding the plot of the novel, as well as the historical and cultural aspects of living in China during the Cultural Revolution. Students also worked on researching an assigned dynasty of Imperial China. They are creating a portion of a presentation that will be given as a whole class.

8th grade Humanities students began the week by reading and discussing the impact of gold on the Indigenous Nations in North America, as well as tribal sovereignty. Additionally, they read the poem “Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye and used this poem to discuss the definition of “fame” and come up with their own examples of fame using Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem as inspiration. Feel free to click and read the piece to perhaps consider “fame” from a different perspective. Finally, 8th grade students reviewed the following writing mini-lessons (originally developed by Nanci Atwell) that they must consider when composing their own personal memoirs: The Rule of Thoughts and Feelings, The Rule of So What?, and The Rule of Write About a Pebble. They will begin their drafts next week after brainstorming their piece.

Math

Students in Pre-Transition, Transition, Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II had a lively and engaging start to the week with a fun Chapter 1 review game called “Trashketball.” The classes were split into teams, and for each correct answer, students earned the chance to take a shot with a crumpled piece of paper into the trash can to score points for their team. The game brought energy, teamwork, and plenty of laughter while helping students review key concepts from Chapter 1. Following the review, all five courses took their respective Chapter 1 Test to demonstrate their understanding of the material covered so far. The week concluded with a Chapter 2 Scavenger Hunt, where students previewed upcoming topics in an interactive way. The activity set the stage for the next unit and sparked enthusiasm for the material ahead.

Science

This week, Middle School students were able to start the week with their first Quiz, containing 10 questions about basic concepts of science and the Scientific Method. The Knowledge of the Scientific Method is very important because it will be used throughout the year to write laboratory reports for every experiment that we will be doing in science class.

In addition, Middle School Students got the guidelines for the Science Fair this year, which will be on November 5th. Students are brainstorming ideas for experiments for the Fair.

Also, they are reading and comprehending Science articles. The articles are assigned every Monday, and the comprehension questions are turned in every Friday. The goal of reading is that students become more familiar with learning about new findings and new scientific words. Currently, we are still working on writing our first Lab report (Penny Lab) and focusing on the understanding of the formulation of the Hypothesis and Conclusion.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Hope you’ve had a great week! We had our first rainy day since school started, so we enjoyed an indoor lunch and games on Thursday. We also had our first High School visit this year. Westover School spoke to our female students about life and academics on its campus.

Here are some upcoming announcements:

  • Tuesday, 10/7: Team Building day @ The Adventure Park. 9 am-2 pm. Please sign the waiver here and pack a lunch with snacks. Closed-toed sneakers needed (no Crocs).
  • Thursday, 10/16: Catherine Violet Hubbard Stream Study & Sanctuary Visit. Permission forms will go home next week.  PLEASE read this for the attire needed for this visit.
  • SAVE THE DATE: Friday, 10/24 @ 6:30 pm: Middle School Halloween Movie Night

Science

This week, Middle School students were able to start the week working on Unit Conversions. In the science world, Unit Conversions are basic, so scientists can communicate their findings around the world. 6th and 7th graders started with unit conversions within the Imperial System, and 8th Graders started their unit conversion between Imperial and International System.

Also, this week, Middle School students were able to apply all that they have learned about the Scientific Method this year. They did their first lab called Penny Lab. In this lab, students were able to learn about a few properties of water, knowing that water is a universal solvent and is very important for life. The properties of water mentioned in this lab are cohesion, adhesion, and superficial tension. Students were able to start to write a lab report sheet, where they had to predict which side of the Penny would hold a greater number of drops of water before spilling over. All students were able to write their main question and hypothesis. To write the hypothesis, students were able to recognize the independent variable, dependent variable, and controlled variables of the Penny Lab. They also learned the difference between the Experimental group and the Control group. The recognition of these variables and groups is the core of every experiment. Students are still working on their lab report.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, students completed their learning of Chapter 1 concepts. Students can now rewrite improper fractions as mixed numbers, write the answer to division problems as a mixed number, and understand equivalent fractions. They can also order integers, fractions, and mixed numbers from least to greatest. Students learned how to graph positive and negative integers and fractions on a number line, and can correctly interpret situations with directions and amounts that are positive, negative, or correspond to zero. This class closed out the week reviewing these foundational concepts, will continue to review on Monday, and will take the Chapter 1 Assessment on Tuesday, September 30.

Transition: This week, the Transition class continued their learning of Chapter 1 concepts. Students can now write numbers and products in scientific notation, and know about other grouping symbols in the order of operations. This class learned about the structure of the coordinate grid and how to represent data on it, and they can interpret data from a scatterplot. This class closed out the week reviewing these foundational concepts, will continue to review on Monday, and will take the Chapter 1 Assessment on Tuesday, September 30.

Algebra: This week in Algebra, students wrapped up their learning of Chapter 1. They can now use an online graphing calculator to graph ordered pairs and know how to read the graph to determine whether expressions seem to be equivalent. The class also learned to evaluate expressions involving absolute value, calculate the range and mean of a data set, and find the mean absolute deviation. The class spent the end of the week reviewing concepts from Chapter 1 as a group to ensure a solid understanding of all concepts covered, as these are foundational concepts that will recur throughout the chapter. They will take the Chapter 1 assessment on Tuesday, September 30.

Geometry: This week in Geometry, students completed learning Chapter 1 concepts. This class can now recognize and use geometric notation for one-dimensional ideas, can recognize and use undefined terms and postulates, and can find the point of intersection of two lines. This class can also determine the distance between two points on a number line, also known as betweenness. Students wrapped up the week reviewing these foundational concepts and took the Chapter 1 Assessment on Friday.

Algebra II:  Algebra II closed out on Chapter 1 concepts this week. This class can now solve and check linear equations, rewrite formulas, and solve formulas for their variables. This class can also solve equations using a Computer Algebra System (graphing calculator) to solve equations or expand expressions. The week wrapped up with learning about explicit formulas for sequences and a review of Chapter 1 concepts. This class will continue to review these foundational concepts on Monday and will take the Chapter 1 Assessment on Tuesday, September 30.

Humanities

This week, the 6th and 7th grade groups dove into their class novel, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka. This novel follows the fall of the Qing Dynasty and movement away from traditions such as Chinese foot binding. Students were quite curious about this form of body modification and learned more about the practice and history behind it. They are relieved to know it is a thing of the past for women in East Asia. Additionally, students read Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to the Apple.” They discussed the purpose of an ode and composed their own versions using objects in and around school. This assignment builds upon the usage of figurative language and strong word choice in writing pieces.

8th-grade Humanities classes completed a variety of items this week. First, they continue to learn about Indigenous America. They focused on the value of land and stewardship by Indigenous groups. This led them to question, Who are the stewards in the US currently? What responsibilities do individuals and different groups have for maintaining land resources for the citizens of the US? For Poetry Tuesday, the class read Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” and even listened to an audio of his recitation of the piece. While at first they weren’t sure what to make of the poem, with some guided questions, they were able to develop meaning and have a profound discussion about boundaries and borders. The 8th grade is also beginning to look at personal narrative writing. Finally, students read two essays, one from a former student and another called “A Plate of Peas” by Rick Beyer. They analyzed these for meaning, and next week will identify the qualities in the writing that worked for them.