As we count down the days to spring break, our middle school classrooms are buzzing with energy and creativity. Students are in the full swing of projects from bacteria and science fair to poems and roman history, and it has been such a joy to watch their ideas take shape from initial plans to final products. Even more meaningful has been seeing students take ownership of their learning—making decisions, problem-solving, and truly investing in the process.
Alongside this work, we’ve been having important conversations about creativity—not just as something we use in our projects and hobbies, but as something that shapes how we interact with one another. Competition, both on the playground and in the classroom, can sometimes bring out strong emotions, and we’ve taken time to reflect, repair, and rebuild when words have not reflected our best selves. Through these moments, students are learning that creativity also means finding new ways to communicate, to show empathy, and to strengthen genuine relationships.
Middle school is a time of growth in so many ways, and it has been incredibly meaningful to support students not only as learners, but as thoughtful, caring members of a community.
—Ms. Amanda
Upcoming Dates:
- April 3 – 10 – Spring Break (no school)
- April 22- Art Night Celebration (5:30 – 6:30)
ELA: This week in ELA, 7th graders polished up and transcribed final identity poems for Spread the Word. We also completed our identity collages to pair with our pieces – it was a joyful activity full of self-expression! Students tested their grammar knowledge on Thursday and will have grades ready for you in their blue take home folder.
Next week, we will begin our final reading unit of the year, with our novel study of Watership Down by Richard Adams. We will really be leveling up our reading skills as we look forward to 8th grade for this unit, and I’m excited to tackle this classic. Students will also begin an editing and dictation grammar unit next week.
Science: This week in science, 7th graders refined and edited their literature reviews for their Science Fair projects. Students explored the differences between MLA and APA formatting, learned how to properly cite sources in APA, and examined the structure of a scientific report. They also developed detailed plans and timelines for executing their experiments, strengthening their organization and ownership of the scientific process.
Next week, students will continue working on their Science Fair projects while also beginning our chemistry unit, where they will explore different methods for investigating and identifying unknown substances.
Social Studies: Seventh grade has finished our unit on Antebellum America and how this time period solidified the tensions between the north and south, leading to the Civil War. Their test will be next Friday. We have also been working on our Women’s History Month projects which we will finish next week as well.
Math: This week in math, 7th graders wrapped up their volume exploration with practicing finding the volume of spheres. We did lots of analyzing the relationships between the volumes of different shapes (cylinders are triple cones, spheres are double cones, etc). Next week, we’ll take our end of unit assessment – they received a study guide on Monday, and we’ll review it before their test!
