A few weeks back, we had a Middle School Morning Meeting about how much time we have left in the year, which at the time was 50-some days. As we returned from Spring Break, we were all feeling a little shocked when we realized that number was now down in the thirties, and all felt the same little spark to put our heads down, buckle up, and finish strong together. The last two months in the Cooper Middle School tend to fly by – Spread the Word, class trips, graduation, and other exciting happenings throw a wrench in our regular schedule that makes time pass before our eyes. As excited as I’m sure we all are for summer, I hope we use this new post-SB refreshed mindset to not only power through the last 7 weeks of school, but really be present and appreciate the fun we’re about to have!
Upcoming Dates:
- April 22nd – No After School
- April 22nd Art Night from 5:30-6:30pm
- May 14th – Pass It On at 5:00PM (11:30am Dismissal)
ELA: This week in 8th grade ELA, amidst heavy preparations for Spread the Word, 8th grade researched their topics in investigative journalism. Journalists workshopped how to reach out to expert sources and conduct interviews for our investigations. We also began to craft outlines for our pieces. Students continued to practice writing mechanics through dictation, with a test on Friday. Be sure to inquire about their final grades.
Next week, 8th grade will begin first drafts of articles. We will start our last vocab unit of the year, as well!
Science: This week in Science, 8th graders explored heredity through the use of cladograms. Students learned how to interpret these models and used them to identify common ancestors among groups of green plants, strengthening their ability to analyze relationships based on evidence.
Students also began discussing inherited traits and the diversity seen within their own classroom, making meaningful connections between scientific concepts and their lived experiences.
Next week, students will deepen their understanding of genetics by exploring DNA, genotypes, and phenotypes, analyzing how genetic information shapes the traits of organisms.
Yesterday, I sent out an email update about the science fair. If you did not receive it, please reach out to me.
Social Studies: The eighth graders have continued learning about the time period between the world wars and how societies changed during this time. We saw the rise of Communism and Facism and how it reshaped the world. Next week we will begin WW2 and its impact on the world. We also began working on our research papers which is the last major project of the year for social studies.
Math: This week in math, 8th graders started their first of several mini-units to help reviewing older but super necessary concepts for high school and Algebra 1. The first mini-unit covered multidigit, fraction, and decimal multiplication and division by hand, and they took a quiz on Friday. Next week, they’ll explore multi-step equations – something they’ve used a bit in Geometry, but will be super crucial in Algebra 1!
