As I write my first newsletter, I am overcome by how grateful I am. From the very first day, I have been welcomed with open arms by the staff, parents, and students, whose kindness and enthusiasm make this such a special place. Each day brings me joy as I watch students’ curiosity grow, their questions spark meaningful discussions, and their excitement for discovery shine through.
On Thursday, the middle school had their middle school social and it was such a blast! We played cornhole, volleyball, spikeball, and more. It was such a joyful time to continue building that community that is so unique and amazing. It is a privilege to be part of a community that values learning, creativity, and connection, and I look forward to many wonderful days ahead at The Cooper School.
-AB
ELA- 8th grade completed their position papers this week, turning in polished, well researched takes on pressing world debates. I am proud of their growth in formal writing and the art of critical thinking. We also tested our grammar skills on Thursday, so be sure to look for that test grade.
Next week, students will transition to the first reading unit of the year as we begin The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. This will be an in-depth study of power dynamics and social issues as we deepen our notetaking and analysis skills. Students will also switch to vocabulary/morphology instruction, with a test planned for 9/25.
Science- This week 8th grade wrapped up their exploration into the acceleration of gravity on Earth and other celestial bodies. We began exploring Newton’s laws of motion by starting with the second law and will continue that exploration next week as we look at collisions and how Newton’s first and third laws come into play.
Social Studies- Eighth graders are getting ready for their first test next Thursday on the origins of “world history” and the birth or revolutions around the Atlantic. Study guides have been given out and posted to google classroom. They have really done a great job with this unit and have a great understanding of the role new ideas and inventions can have on society.
Math- This week in math, 8th graders used the previous week’s practice of basic transformations to evaluate symmetry and complete more complex point-by-point transformations. We also used their transformations to help us form conjectures about symmetry and congruence. Hello, proofs!
Next week, 8th graders will finish up their first unit of study by practicing transformations and constructions to build different figures. They’ll be assessed over these skills on Thursday, before moving on to unit 2 where we’ll apply this mastery to congruence and triangle trigonometry!
