We did it! We got through the first two weeks of school! You could feel in the air how students (and teachers) were pleasantly anxious for the new start. We walked in the doors after summer break hopeful for the potential of positive change and the desire to start off on the right foot.
In TCS middle school, we plan explicitly for community building time. We consider the whole middle school community, our advisories, and each grade level. These first two weeks, we had middle school meetings to not just talk about rules, routines, and expectations, but to get to know each other through games! As a middle school community, we played games together to laugh, make eye contact, communicate, and learn more about each other as a whole middle school. To create more community for each grade level, we made time for social and emotional conversations, executive functioning guidance, and more fun get to know you games. As the year progresses, and our communities grow and evolve, our explicit community building will do the same. However, the extra planning and time we put into community building these first few weeks, will help us persevere and respect each other for the rest of the year.
-LD
What’s going on in Science?
Fifth graders began their cartography and geology unit this week. They contemplated and learned about how different landforms were formed and how the Earth’s surface is shifting. They learned about the art of cartography and how maps inform us how to navigate our surroundings. To put it into practice, they began to map their own neighborhoods to visualize and understand the relative perspective of direction, landmarks, and landscapes. Next week, they will learn how to identify minerals using the Moh’s Hardness scale and about the process of erosion.
What’s happening in math?
This week in math, 5th graders explored finding the volume of rectangular prisms by building with unit cubes and counting the units. They used this exploration to create a formula for finding the volume. They also took their IXL diagnostic test, which Ms. Allison will explain more about during Curriculum Night on September 6th. Next week, we will extend this into finding the volume of all different kinds of prisms!
What’s happening in ELA?
This week in English Language Arts, 5th graders set goals for their reading lives and reflected on ways in which they could have a reading “growth spurt” in 5th grade. The class studied student examples of strong “writing about reading” to push themselves away from mindless reading and into thoughtful comprehension.
Next week, we’ll find ways to ‘see more’ in our independent reading novels by noticing rich details. Those details will then allow students to develop ideas that grow into theories and ultimately give way to analytical writing about our reading.
What’s happening in Social Studies?
This week, the fifth graders learned the introduction and basics to geography! Student’s were first assessed on their cardinal and intermediate directions. Student’s raced to match the correct climate types with their descriptions. Students worked in groups to race against their peers while mastering this concept.
Next week, the students will be diving into economics and forms of governments. Students will color in a map that shows the various forms of governments around the world. They will end the week by completing a blog post about the benefits of development and answering the question; is it worth the cost of the environment?
Important Dates:
Monday, September 4th- Labor Day (No School)
Wednesday, September 6th- Middle School Curriculum Night (5:30-6:30)
Friday, September 15th- Parent Coffee (8:15-9:00)
Saturday, September 23rd- Charleston Battery Family Fun Night
