It was so wonderful to see all of you who attended parent-teacher conferences and thank you for making the time to meet with us! This week the middle schoolers have had a multitude of project presentations that have really showcased their hard work, talent, and creativity. We also have the Harvest Festival coming up this week! Make sure you are here on the 18th for a fun filled day on our beautiful campus!

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

What’s happening in Science?

For a reminder, we are taking a field trip to the College of Charleston Natural History Museum on Monday, November 14th to look at fossils and bones of animals local to our area. We will leave around 10:00 and be back for lunch. This week, seventh graders contemplated and sorted through the difference between organisms, populations, ecosystems, and abiotic factors. They also considered how biodiversity impacts ecosystems, and learned more about some of the misconceptions about evolution.

What’s up in Math?

We are nearing the end of our solving equations unit. Today, we started putting it all together by creating and solving equations from stories. After completing one more lesson involving percentages, we will review and assess next week. It was very nice to see some of you during conferences and I am hopeful that you gained a clearer insight to your child’s day here at The Cooper School. I wanted to share with all of you that I do send “Cool Down’s” home almost daily so that you can see what it is your student is learning, their strategies, and my notes. I am hopeful this will keep us on the same page and provide consistent communication about what’s happening in math. 

What’s happening in ELA?

Seventh grade students are working diligently on their “Investigating Characterization” reading unit. They’ve been applying their notetaking skills to investigate the perspective of the main character along with the perspective of minor characters by analyzing what they say, what they do, and how they behave. Your seventh grader really have to apply higher order thinking skills to delve into what the text is not making obvious and also come to the realization that authors manipulate how the readers feel about characters. Please encourage your student to take notes about their reading. This is an important skill that will serve them well as they pursue higher education.  This week in grammar, students identified adverb clauses and reviewed using commas correctly. 

Finally, signed papers for ELA will be sent home every Monday. Please make sure to check with your child every Monday afternoon for their ELA signed papers.

What’s going on in Social Studies?

In seventh grade, the students finished their studies on the different branches of government and began looking at the amendments of the Constitution. Students not only drew the amendments, but also played Pictionary to test their knowledge! 

Next week, the students will have an assessment on the Constitution on Tuesday! Students will then begin looking at Washington’s Presidency! 

Important Dates:

• November, 14- Field trip to College of Charleston Natural History Museum
• November 18- Harvest Festival (11:30 Dismissal)
• November 21-25 Thanksgiving Break (No School)