With the Little Big Things Gala coming up, I think our mind certainly travels to the “littles” of elementary and all the big things they are up to, but don’t forget the middle schoolers! I would argue they are a perfect embodiment of a “little big thing.” They are big and in the middle of the growing-up-too-fast that we made them promise not to do – emotionally stretching, mastering academic concepts, learning hard lessons, wearing adult shoe sizes. However, they are also “little” – they’re back foot is still in childhood, their mind can still get lost in a neverland of creativity, playfulness, and an open mind. What a wonderful tension to be both little and big for four fabulous years. These “little-bigs” are certainly celebrated in this newsletter every week and at TCS each day. I hope you will join me in applauding them BIG at the gala!
-Ms. Maggie
Upcoming Dates:
- March 14 – Little Big Things Gala
- April 1 – Art Night Celebration
- April 3 – 10 – Spring Break
ELA: This week in ELA, 8th grade annotated the classic “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy in our play copies while also studying Laurence Olivier’s performance of it. We read through scenes, “collecting” unfamiliar Shakespearean words and learning to interpret the language on our own before leaning on No Fear Shakespeare’s translation. Students also began another grammar unit, with a test planned for 3/19.
Next week, 8th graders will continue analyzing Hamlet on the page and stage, while also developing their sonnets for our Spread the Word event. They’ll have another week of grammar study before testing on 3/19, and will receive their grammar study guide by next Friday.
Science: This week in Science, 8th graders continued developing their Science Fair projects. Students explored the difference between qualitative and quantitative data and discussed how each type of data can help answer scientific questions. They then applied this understanding to their own investigations, identifying the kinds of data they will need to collect during their experiments.
Next week, students will begin collecting data while continuing to refine their background research, strengthening both the investigative and communication aspects of their scientific work.
Social Studies: Students will be starting their women’s history month projects next week!
Math: This week in math, 8th graders wrapped up unit 7 and reviewed for their end of unit assessment on Thursday. This assessment assessed their knowledge and understanding of circles and angles within them.
Next week in math, 8th graders began their final geometry unit of study over probability. We’ll begin by exploring sample spaces and relative frequency, before challenging our brains to assess the probability of different events and outcomes. They’ll also take their Winter/Spring ERB milestone on Wednesday – showcasing their growth so far this year.
