This past week, the TCS Middle Schoolers began planning for our beloved Halloween Carnival! 5th graders started arranging and delegating decoration plans, 6th and 7th graders chose and started designing their booths, and 8th grade set out to draft plans for their signature haunted maze. Growing up in the midwest, Halloween wasn’t as widely appreciated as it is here in Charleston – and so it’s fascinating to me to see how much this community appreciates and celebrates this eerie holiday.
I want to encourage our students to approach their lives in the same way they have approached this spooky season – tackling the scary things. Whether it’s a test, an application for high school, a big game, or even a chore they don’t love, my wish is that they’ll take ownership of, plan for, and execute these tasks in the same way they’ve dived into their tasks for this Halloween Carnival. Spooky season is a time to honor our bravery, fearlessness, and determination!
-AG
Math:
This week in Algebra 1, we began analyzing inequalities and how to write, solve, graph, and interpret them. Next week, we’ll apply this knowledge to systems of linear inequalities to analyze and interpret their solutions.
ELA:
8th grade readers completed their final synthesis pages on both their novel and the short story The Scholarship Jacket this week. They took great care to track internal and external character pressures and power dynamics, synthesizing their knowledge from the whole unit! 8th graders also completed their first vocabulary tests.
Next week, readers will begin their photographic writing unit as they study how the art of photography speaks to the art of writing. They will also transition back to two weeks of grammar study with a test on 10/24.
Social Studies:
The eighth grade class has done a fantastic job with this difficult topic, which has involved the Mexican and other latin revolutions and how they have impacted the world since they happened. The students have responded well to the work and discussions that have taken place and I am proud of how well they have been able to understand and relate to the information. We will finish the revolutions this week, with our next test the following week on the 17th.
Science:
Eighth graders explored Newton’s Three Laws of Motion this week. They played pool, pinball, and other marble games to see how force, acceleration, mass, inertia, and reactions are related. They considered how energy is not created or destroyed through their observations. The eighth graders also started to brainstorm their Rube Goldberg projects. We have many “tasks” that will be accomplished through chain reactions over the next few weeks. Please be on the lookout for materials donations!
Important Dates:
October 14 & 15: Fall Break- No School
October 28: LeAnn Gardner Parent Presentation (5:30)
October 31: Halloween Carnival (11:30 Dismissal)
November 1: Teacher Work Day (No Students)
November 11&12: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 22: Harvest Feast
November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
