Welcome to (or back to) the middle. Middle school will always have those classic stereotypes weighing it down whenever we think deeply about this time – awkwardness, experimentation, identity, socializing, moodiness, physical growth (or lack thereof). The image in my head is of some Buster Keaton type with his legs painfully split between two moving cars in a wacky silent film – trying to jump the gap, a little stuck, kinda funny, difficult. We met as a whole middle school for the first time this Wednesday, and it felt like the best place to start was addressing the elephant in the (middle) of the room. We talked about being ourselves, even when we are not sure who that is yet. More importantly, we talked about allowing others to experiment, change, and grow without judgement.
We watched a short news report about a cute 3rd grade boy who wore brightly colored suits to school. His peers eventually joined him in wearing fancy clothes on what they called “Dapper Wednesdays.” Instead of judging, the children applauded and even took part in this show of individualism…. Then I brought it up: Could this same cute story be possible in middle school? Our highly empathetic hawks did a great job of discussing why this might be a hard story to live out in the middle, how this time can turn down our confidence, turn up our judgement. We spoke on ways we could make more space for folks to experiment, grow, or change without fear. I have to say, it is easy for most of our students to be both accepting and themselves. It’s one of our strengths here at TCS. However, no student body is perfect, and every year is a new opportunity to be reminded of the unique opportunity that “the middle” presents. May this be a year of trying, failing, growing, and finding our best selves, knowing we’ve got an outstanding community to cheer us on.
-MK
Upcoming Dates:
- 7th grade off – campus morning: Wednesday, August 26
- Labor Day (No School) – Monday, September 7
- Cooper Cluster Lunch – Wednesday, September 9th
- Middle School Curriculum Night – Wednesday, September 9th 5:30-6:30
ELA: This week in 8th grade ELA, we kicked off the year with our photography and writing unit! We learned the basic elements of photography – aperture, shutter speed, framing – and wondered how photography rules can influence our writing. We will keep this essential question at the top of our minds as we write these next four weeks: What can photography teach us about story? 8th graders also began their Unit 1 vocab study, with their first test scheduled for Friday, 8/28.
Next week, writer-photographers will explore writing/photography concepts in mood/lighting, framing/pov, and more. Be sure to utilize the flashcards we made in class, including roots/stems cards, to prepare for next week’s test!
Science: This week in science, 8th graders were introduced to C-E-R (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning), an important tool for supporting scientific claims with reliable evidence and clear reasoning. Students also began our exploration of waves, which will connect with their photography unit in ELA as they build a deeper understanding of how light and other waves interact with the world around us.
Students began by exploring frequency through a hands-on investigation of their pulse under different conditions. They then used springs to model and compare longitudinal and transverse waves, building physical representations to help make abstract concepts more concrete.
Next week, students will investigate how energy travels through waves by exploring ocean waves, examining how earthquakes affect bridges, and investigating how engineers use waves to soundproof rooms.
Social Studies: Eighth grade has done a fantastic job with this new unit of study, world history beginning in 1750. We have discussed and analyzed why historians use this time period as the start of world history and began looking into the changes the world will be going through in the upcoming years. Next week we will take a different look at the American revolution they are used to and the true impact it has had on the world, not just in our own country.
Math: This week in Algebra 1, we began a unit on one-variable statistics. We wrote and analyzed both statistical and non-statistical questions, and collected numerical and categorical data. We also looked at collected data on distributions described their shapes! Next week, we’re going to learn how to import this information into spreadsheets and use formulas within those spreadsheets to find things like average, standard deviation, etc. We’ll learn how to find those things by hand, too!
