Whew! What a week, especially with all this frigid weather. The middle school has had another busy week studying how neurons work in cockroaches and working on our writing with Spread the Word coming up! The anticipation is building and we hope you are all as excited as us. The students have created the most creative and beautiful pieces and we cannot wait for you to hear them! In honor of St. Patty’s Day here are some riddles to kick start your Irish weekend: 

1. Where can you always find “gold,” but there’s no gold at all
2. What has eyes but can’t see?
3. How many gold coins can a leprechaun throw in an empty pot?

( Answers at the very end! 😉 

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

What’s happening in Science?

Seventh graders learned about the rock cycle and how rocks evolve on and in the earth. They compared and contrasted igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. They looked closely at the Grand Canyon and learned how the striations we see occurred. Seventh graders examined the different types of rocks that make up the canyon and how the colors of the different rocks make the canyon so unique. Next week, they will examine fossils and consider how the law of superposition guides geologic dating.

What’s up in Math?

Seventh graders have covered the crash course for both Unit 1 and 2 this week. We revisited, took notes, and did several practice problems covering skills including transformations, triangle sum theorem, angle pairs, triangle similarity, and slope. Next week, we will cover Units 3 and 4 which are both all about expressions, equations, and inequalities. We will soon be finishing the last few units of the curriculum, providing them with a solid foundation for Algebra 1 next year!

What’s happening in ELA?

Your students are currently working on their pieces for the “Spread the Word” event that will be taking place on the afternoon of March 28^th at the Charleston Museum. Please RSVP as there is limited seating. We would like for your students to dress nicely. 

We will also have a brief rehearsal at the museum on March 23rd. Please fill out the permission slip so that they will be able to go to the rehearsal.

What’s going on in Social Studies?

Students started the week by reviewing the content of their “Before the Civil War” unit. Students began to prepare to take their assessment on Thursday. Students then jumped into their Civil War unit by mastering their vocabulary and creating a diary entry on the conflict and compromises taking place. 

Next week, the students will begin looking into the war itself. Students will be asked to map and timeline the battles of the war. Students will also be asked to analyze a portion of the Emancipation Proclamation! 

Important Dates:

• March 28 – Spread the Word (11:30 Dismissal) 
• April 3-10- Spring Break 

ANSWERS: 

1. DICTIONARY
2. POTATO
3. ONLY ONE BECAUSE AFTER THAT IT IS NO LONGER EMPTY