As we move through the holiday season — a time that can easily become rushed and overwhelming — I’ve been talking with our middle schoolers about slowing down and celebrating the little things. In the midst of projects, festivities, and the growing buzz of December, I’m encouraging them to notice the everyday moments that often slip by: a shared laugh with a friend, a problem solved through teamwork, the calm of a quiet morning, or a small success that deserves recognition.
This past weekend I got to see one of my favorite bands, TopHouse. They often sing about the beauty found in ordinary moments and the way joy can live in the smallest details if we’re willing to pause long enough to see them. That message has been at the heart of my conversations with students this week.
My hope is that during this busy season, our students (and all of us!) can take a breath, look around, and find meaning in the simple, fleeting moments that make up our days. It’s in those little things that the true magic of this time of year lies.
—Amanda
Upcoming Dates
- December 19th – Pajama Day/Holiday Extravaganza (11:30am Dismissal)
- December 22 – January 2nd – Winter Break (No School)
- January 5th – Teacher Work Day (No School)
- January 6th – School Resumes
ELA: 7th grade completed a study of Anne Frank’s diary this week. They discussed Anne’s impact on the history of the holocaust and how we process a dark past. They should be so proud of their diaries – students did a wonderful job of reflecting on their reading, their own lives, and the world within their pages. Diaries will be coming home, so be sure to keep them somewhere special. 7th grade also tested grammar on Thursday and grades should be in take-home folders.
Next week, 7th grade will use the last week before break to do grammar review. They will also begin a genre-writing unit, exploring tropes in genres like crime writing and coming-of-age stories to develop colorful fiction!
Science: This week in Science, our 7th graders took a closer look at how scientists study populations and the many ways we learn about the living world. Students compared observational research—like Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking work—with controlled experiments, and this opened the door to rich discussions about ethics and the responsibilities scientists carry when working with living things.
Students also began exploring producers and the essential role photosynthesis plays in building biomass within an ecosystem. Their questions and insights showed just how deeply they are thinking about the systems that support life.
Next week, students will continue this work by examining the producers in the ecosystem they are researching. They will also have an assessment on Thursday, December 18th, covering levels of organization in an ecosystem and food webs.
Social Studies: Seventh grade students worked on our new unit of study, the time of the American Revolution and the formation of our federal government. We learned about the creation of our country and the ideas that shaped our government. We finished the discussion on the Bill of Rights and a deeper understanding of what each amendment means. This will lead us into looking at primary sources next week from founding fathers and their viewpoints on the creation of states and the expansion of the country.
Math: This week in math, 7th graders worked towards mastery of solving multi-step equations – a skill we’ve been building and growing up for several weeks. We learned new strategies to help us simplify expressions, learned how to combine like terms, and how to solve equations involving fractions. This is a skill that is so necessary for every math class they’ll take in the future, so we’re really trying to drill this home! Next week, they’ll take their end of unit assessment.
