Science/Social Studies – Mrs. Bebell

This week students developed a clearer understanding of how the menstrual cycle works so that they can better understand how fertilization can lead to the development of a human fetus. They watched a documentary that illustrated the journey from attraction to birth, and were fascinated by the process and continue to have such wonderful questions! “Life’s Greatest Miracle” is available to stream on pbs.org and is a highly recommended look at the amazing process of reproduction.

English Language Arts – Mrs. Baird

We have begun reading our new book called Omnivore’s Dilemma. This book explains the amount of food choices we face today, how the industrial revolution changed the way we eat and see food, and which food choices are the most ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Since we as omnivores are not limited to certain foods and can take our pick of what to eat from anything at the store, the new issue is what choice is the best choice for our health, and for the survival of our species? While we read, we will be focusing on finding the gist of each section we read, the details that support it, and we will practice answering text-based questions with evidence from the text.

Math – Mrs. Tapley

7th grade mathematicians had an excellent week! They continued their work with expressions and equations, working on generating equivalent expressions, using the distributive property, factoring expressions, and collecting like terms. In other words – they are laying the foundation for becoming experts in algebra! The 8th grade mathematicians also had an excellent week, where they began their new module on linear equations. They tackled challenging expressions in words and transcribed them into numbers and variables. Students also learned the difference between linear and nonlinear equations and began solving linear equations, which is the focus of the module. Our new WINN blocks began this week, and students are working on mastering the fraction domain or another domain tailored to their current needs.

Thursday, January 17

• Author Chris Van Dusen visit

Friday, January 18

• NWEA Assessment
• Early Release at 12:30 PM

Please note earlier release time!

Monday, January 21

• No School. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Specialist Update!

Spanish – Mrs. Richardson

In 7th/8th grade, students have started preparing their 3-4 minute dialogues. They will be speaking in Spanish only with a partner about everyday activities, likes, and dislikes.