I don’t know about you, but I was more than ready to get back into a routine this week! I love my kids and all, but we all needed it—ha! It’s been so great seeing the middle schoolers reunite after a few weeks off. There have been so many stories shared, hugs exchanged, and new looks to admire.
Moments like this always remind me what a special place The Cooper School is. I’ve worked in many schools over the years, and none have ever felt quite as “at home” as this one. One of my favorite times of day is watching the kids during breaks and lunch. They’re so comfortable with one another—capture the flag happening next to a kickball game (with runners cutting straight through it), a volleyball being volleyed back and forth, finger knitting on a bench, kids chatting in the playground tower. Even with so many different things going on, they’re all connected, kind, and aware of one another.
It’s truly the best to sit back and watch.
-Rives
Upcoming Dates:
- January 16 – ice skating 5th + 6th
- January 19 – MLK day no school
- January 23 – ice skating 7th + 8th
- In March, we will be going to JICP for PE. Please sign this waiver as soon as you can, so we will be ready to roll!
ELA: 8th grade returned from break to begin a third read of Ray Bradbury’s short story All Summer in a Day. They read this time independently and with annotations. We discussed leveling up our theses by asking questions about style, symbol, and alternate meanings behind the narrative. We read 9th grade level student essays to form new ideas about what literary essays can look like and do. 8th grade also began unit 5 of vocabulary.
Next week, writers will begin drafting their own essays based on their “highly arguable” theses, planning for a 1/22 due date. The vocabulary test will be administered on 1/15.
Science: This week in Science, our 8th graders investigated the reflection and refraction of light waves through hands-on experimentation. Using lasers, students observed how light bends as it moves between water and air, deepening their understanding of how light interacts with different mediums. They then explored what happens when light bends so dramatically that no refracted beam is visible, leading to the discovery of total internal reflection.
Next week, students will build on this learning as they explore communication waves through the study of optical fibers, applying their understanding of total internal reflection in a real-world context. Students will assess their knowledge of light waves with a quiz on Wednesday, January 14th. There is a study guide on google classroom for students to reference.
Social Studies: This first week back we picked up on our study of Europe before WW1 and how it was changed during the 1800’s. This discussion helped us understand how Europe was formed through revolutions and how those led to the great war. Next week we will learn about the acronym MAIN, which is what many historians use to explain the causes of the war and each countries role in the beginning.
Math: This week in math, 8th grade mathematicians practiced our created volume formulas and recognized patterns between scale factor, surface area, and volume before taking our end of unit assessment. Next week, we’ll begin our 6th unit of study – coordinate geometry – connecting our previously mastered skills involving rigid transformations to our 7th grade pre-algebra knowledge to analyze transformations on a coordinate plane!
