The Cooper School Daily
February 8, 2024
Powerful Moments
Powerful Moments
On Monday, our Middle Schoolers had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Anthony James, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at USC. With Dr. James, the students discussed “Ouch!”, a strategy used to resolve conflicts surrounding stereotyping and microaggressions. Some of the approaches to standing up against microaggressions include asking a question, interrupting and redirecting, broadening to universal behavior, saying “ouch!”, making it individual, and assuming good intent then explaining impact.
At the conclusion of the assembly, the students were asked to share some takeaways they learned from the discussion. I really felt the need to shine on our students for their thoughtfulness, intentionality, and ability to absorb information. Some examples of takeaways:
“There’s an easier and more effective way to stand up to people who make offensive comments, rather than starting an argument.” – James Dawson
“When you use one of the strategies we discussed, you can control the conversation by creating a calm and informative discussion.” – Devon Porter
“If someone makes a stereotypical comment or microaggression, asking them “what do you mean?” gives the person a chance to think about what they said, and the impact it might have on someone.” – Zephyr Wall
I’m in awe every day of our students and their compassion, empathy, and resourcefulness when living their day to day lives. It’s experiences like these that make being a Cooper Kid such a great investment in their lives and futures! These kiddos are going to change the world, and I can’t wait to watch!
-AG
Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes:
What’s happening in Science?
Seventh graders are finishing up with their science fair projects this week. Most folks have finished collecting their data or are at least close to collecting the last bits. Lots of interesting findings have been discovered. For one, we have an idea of what shampoo removes oil the best, what type of light bulb is most efficient, and if video games do indeed raise adolescent’s heart rate. More conclusions are to come!
What’s up in Math?
This week, 7th graders expanded on how to use scatter plots and trends in real-life scenarios before reviewing for and taking their test on Thursday. They finished off the week by creating rules for tables! Next week, we’ll explore functions and what they are, how to find inputs and outputs of a function, compare a function’s equation and graph, and sketch graphs for the story of a function!
What’s happening in ELA?
This week, 7th grade readers began an exciting research and reading project with their black historical fiction novels! They investigated the time period, major events, key figures, and geography of their novels while reading ambitiously each day. All their research and insights are captured in a google slides presentation, to be shared at the end of the unit.
Next week, 7th graders will wrap up the unit. In the spirit of this year’s Black History Month Theme (Black Artists), we will enjoy a mini black art history survey, searching for a piece that exemplifies black artistry and connects to our novels.
What’s going on in Social Studies?
Seventh graders dove into westward expansion by studying the different trails used during the moving of settlers. Students had the opportunity to complete a reading analysis on settling in Oregon County and playing Oregon Trail.
Next week, students will finish their westward expansion unit by diving into California’s migration. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the unit on Thursday before beginning ‘Life Before the Civil War’.
Important Dates:
February 14th- Valentine’s Day Book Fair, Bake Sale and Bingo, starting at 1:30!
February 19th & 20th- February Break (no school)
On Monday, our Middle Schoolers had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Anthony James, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at USC. With Dr. James, the students discussed “Ouch!”, a strategy used to resolve conflicts surrounding stereotyping and microaggressions. Some of the approaches to standing up against microaggressions include asking a question, interrupting and redirecting, broadening to universal behavior, saying “ouch!”, making it individual, and assuming good intent then explaining impact.
At the conclusion of the assembly, the students were asked to share some takeaways they learned from the discussion. I really felt the need to shine on our students for their thoughtfulness, intentionality, and ability to absorb information. Some examples of takeaways:
“There’s an easier and more effective way to stand up to people who make offensive comments, rather than starting an argument.” – James Dawson
“When you use one of the strategies we discussed, you can control the conversation by creating a calm and informative discussion.” – Devon Porter
“If someone makes a stereotypical comment or microaggression, asking them “what do you mean?” gives the person a chance to think about what they said, and the impact it might have on someone.” – Zephyr Wall
I’m in awe every day of our students and their compassion, empathy, and resourcefulness when living their day to day lives. It’s experiences like these that make being a Cooper Kid such a great investment in their lives and futures! These kiddos are going to change the world, and I can’t wait to watch!
-AG
Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes:
What’s happening in Science?
Seventh graders are finishing up with their science fair projects this week. Most folks have finished collecting their data or are at least close to collecting the last bits. Lots of interesting findings have been discovered. For one, we have an idea of what shampoo removes oil the best, what type of light bulb is most efficient, and if video games do indeed raise adolescent’s heart rate. More conclusions are to come!
What’s up in Math?
This week, 7th graders expanded on how to use scatter plots and trends in real-life scenarios before reviewing for and taking their test on Thursday. They finished off the week by creating rules for tables! Next week, we’ll explore functions and what they are, how to find inputs and outputs of a function, compare a function’s equation and graph, and sketch graphs for the story of a function!
What’s happening in ELA?
This week, 7th grade readers began an exciting research and reading project with their black historical fiction novels! They investigated the time period, major events, key figures, and geography of their novels while reading ambitiously each day. All their research and insights are captured in a google slides presentation, to be shared at the end of the unit.
Next week, 7th graders will wrap up the unit. In the spirit of this year’s Black History Month Theme (Black Artists), we will enjoy a mini black art history survey, searching for a piece that exemplifies black artistry and connects to our novels.
What’s going on in Social Studies?
Seventh graders dove into westward expansion by studying the different trails used during the moving of settlers. Students had the opportunity to complete a reading analysis on settling in Oregon County and playing Oregon Trail.
Next week, students will finish their westward expansion unit by diving into California’s migration. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the unit on Thursday before beginning ‘Life Before the Civil War’.
Important Dates:
February 14th- Valentine’s Day Book Fair, Bake Sale and Bingo, starting at 1:30!
February 19th & 20th- February Break (no school)