Middle School students are settling into their routines. They are able to transition into their classes around campus, gather their necessary materials, take locker breaks on their own, and experience the independence that comes with Middle School.

As teachers, we are working on building relationships with each student, but also creating a classroom culture of respect. However, to be respected by our students, we know we must respect them. We give the middle schoolers control over their learning, follow through with our messages consistently, and strive to model a good example. It feels like we are setting up for a great year ahead!

Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes:

What’s happening in Science:
Astronomers studied the surface of the moon this week! We couldn’t blast off and study it up close and personal, so we modeled the moon’s regolith instead. By investigating meteoroid impacts with rocks, the astronomers were able to visualize and experiment with crater formation on the moon. The scientists also created a large-scale periodic table, worthy of a collegiate chemistry lab.

What’s up in Math?
The 7th graders are half-way through Unit 1! They took a quiz on Thursday to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the objectives covering rigid transformations. Next week, we will move into the second half of the unit which will address congruence, triangle measures, and angle relationships. I have been very impressed with their findings this week. It has been awesome to see them get excited about math, I can see lightbulbs turning on! They are able to formulate thoughts equivalent to those of high school sophomores when analyzing geometric figures. I am very excited to move deeper into the curriculum and watch students continue to connect pieces and draw educated conclusions.

What’s happening in ELA:
This week in 7th Grade ELA , the students had one-on-one conferences with Dr. Ev. The conferences revolved around talking about individual strengths and weaknesses. Students shared about the books they have been reading. They also set goals for their own growth in ELA. Seventh graders did an excellent job on using their vocabulary words in context. Students completed their short story with an extremely long title called, “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court Into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium” by Matt de la Pena. This short story can be found in the book Flying Lessons & Other Stories. Parents, you should check this book out!

Important Dates:
September 21- Middle School Parent Coffee
September 22- Virtual Curriculum Night
October 18th & 19th: Fall Break NO SCHOOL