Whenever we have these short weeks, I go into them on Friday looking forward to having some extra time to recharge and enjoy the long weekend. When we come back to school, I also find myself enjoying the time at school. Time away can be beneficial since we then return and have a deeper appreciation for everything. When I come back I realize how special this place is and feel fortunate to be a part of it. Sometimes taking a break from something will allow you to grow your love for it in the long run. As we get ready for the holiday season, this is an opportunity for everyone to start to think about their own life and what they have gotten away from and maybe start it up again!
– KH
ELA- 7th graders transitioned to a literary essay writing unit this week, beginning to look back on their reading of Gather for possible symbols and motifs to write about and unpack. We also started vocabulary unit 3.
Next week, 7th graders will organize evidence about the symbols they identified in a text evidence organizer and begin crafting a thesis based on their findings. They can begin studying now for their unit 3 test on 10/24.
Science- This week in science, 7th grade students explored objects in our solar system, galaxy, and beyond. Students categorized astronomical objects by distance from our sun to find out what is in our solar system and our galaxy. Students then explored the current theory about the formation of our solar system. Next week students will focus on our solar system. We will explore conditions on each planet and look at the evidence for water on planets.
Social Studies- With the short week the seventh graders continued learning about Europeans arriving in the Americas. We did a fun game about trade in which they learned of the consequences, both positive and negative of the exchanges between the peoples. For next week we will introduce the other European countries involved in the founding of America.
Math- This week in math, 7th graders used equations for lines using our newfound knowledge of slope. We focused on using slopes, y-intercepts, and equations to help us graph lines and find the relationship between slopes and similar triangles. The 7th graders also crushed their ERB milestone on Thursday!
Next week, 7th graders will take their unit 2 assessment on Monday – which will assess them on their ability to identify two figures as congruent vs. similar, and identify and apply scale factors. We’ll pick back up with their project on Tuesday when our special guest expert, Will Wingfield, will visit our class to help us better understand how to use our new mastery of scale and scale factor to our scale drawings. We’ll spend the rest of the week sketching and perfecting the drawings of our buildings!
Important Dates:
- October 31 – Halloween Carnival (1/2 Day)
- November 3 – Teacher Work Day (No Students)
- November 10-11 – Parent Teacher Conferences (1/2 Days)
- November 6 – 7th Grade History in Proportion Presentation
- November 21 – Harvest Feast (Half-Day)
