ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT
5 ELA: In 5th grade English Language Arts, students have been reviewing parts of speech, specific grammar functions in their Oral Language workbook, and having weekly spelling tests. They have been working on proofreading incorrect sentences and stepping into the shoes of an editor. We will begin reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster in the coming weeks, which is a unit that will focus on 4 guiding questions: “What can people learn from their experiences? What makes places unique and different, and how can an author make you feel like you are experiencing those places? How is conflict built into a story? How does an author develop a character’s personality?”
5 Math: In 5th grade math, students are continuing to explore operations with fractions. After mastering addition and subtraction, they are moving on to multiplication and division. They will apply their knowledge to real-world situations of their own design to conclude our fraction unit.
6 ELA: In 6th grade English Language Arts, students have been reviewing the structural foundations of grammar through the use of their Oral Language workbook, where students are expected to step into the shoes of an editor by proofreading what is wrong in each sentence. 6th graders have also been given weekly spelling tests. We read an article about the importance of sleep, and talked about how we can find the central idea within a given text to warm ourselves up for the current novel unit. We started reading The Giver by Lois Lowry as a class and will be exploring themes of dystopia vs utopia, requirements for happiness, and the ethics of censorship. Students will be expected to present on a theme of their choosing at the close of The Giver unit.
6 Math: In 6th grade math, students have worked through several operations with both fractions and decimals. Students will conclude this module with division of decimal numbers. The next module will see students begin their first exploration into negative numbers!
⅚ Science: 5th and 6th grade science finished up their astronomy unit by researching historic space missions. They also designed their own space missions and presented them to a panel of “NASA judges”. In the second semester, this class is transitioning to studying geology and earth science.
⅚ History: In 5th/6th grade history, the students completed independent studies on the Ancient and Modern Wonders of the World. For this project, they were required to make a presentation on their assigned marvel and create an optional diorama for extra credit. Going forward, we will continue our curriculum on ancient civilizations by learning about Egypt.
⅚ Spanish: In 5/6 Spanish, the students have been continuing to learn the members of their family. We have also been practicing listening to fluent speakers and using what we’ve learned this year to try and interpret and translate dialogue. The fluent students have been reading, writing, and listening to podcasts in Spanish, answering plot based questions.
⅚: OE: In Middle School Outdoor Education this month we have been continuing to learn our WFR curriculum. The students have been practicing patient assessments including primary and secondary protocols. We have also been working on applicational steps, learning how to apply braces and secure fractures and dislocations in the backcountry.
⅚ Performing Arts: This semester in 5th and 6th Grade music, students have been working on identifying note values, identifying notes on the treble clef, reading rhythm and melody patterns, keeping beat, matching pitch, and identifying music dynamics. They have also been working on their ability to perform songs and dances learned during class with full energy and commitment. The expectation in class is that students participate, follow directions, and are willing to try things that are new.
7 ELA: In 7th grade English Language Arts, students have been reviewing MLA formatting, as well as annotation techniques to prepare for upcoming expectations surrounding their required readings. We have also started introducing dystopian themes by creating our own idealized governments to prepare for the book Animal Farm by George Orwell that we have begun reading as a class. We will be exploring rhetorical literary techniques within the use of satire and the formats of fables and allegories. Additional readings to support our discussion of Animal Farm throughout the novel unit will include articles about Stalin’s brutal legacy, themes of conformity, and the Russian Revolution. Students will be completing a literary analysis of Animal Farm upon their completion of the novel.
7 Math: In 7th grade math, students have been taking on a variety of skills including solving for variables, inequalities, angle relationships, proportions, and percentages. Students conclude the current module this week before moving on to a longer geometry unit. This will include investigations into scale, circles, and rigid motions.
8 ELA: In 8th grade English Language Arts, students have been reviewing MLA formatting, as well as annotation techniques to prepare for upcoming expectations surrounding their current unit, which is reading and analyzing short stories and their respective authors. So far, they have read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury. Upcoming short stories include “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O-Brien, and “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. 8th graders have been participating in socratic seminars every Thursday to discuss the short stories, and for each assigned story they have been completing an in-class essay on Fridays to assess their comprehension of the story. To complete this unit, students will be selecting one short story that they would like to write a literary analysis.
8 Math: In 8th grade math, students are working towards the end of a geometry module that included rigid motions and a re-exploration of the Pythagorean Theorem. The next module will begin with students beginning to explore linear equations. This will be the first major transition into the Algebra work that will define their next year of mathematical learning.
⅞ Science: 7th and 8th grade science finished up their physics unit through designing, building, and racing cars powered by a single mousetrap. They had to describe how their designs worked based on concepts in physics such as friction, kinetic energy, potential energy, and Newton’s laws. In the second semester, this class is transitioning to studying genetics and evolution.
⅞ History: In 7th/8th grade history, the students collaborated in groups to create dioramas that depicted Medieval Manors. Their dioramas incorporated accurate historical context and showcased the significance of each building within the societal system. We will complete our unit on the Middle Ages by learning about the Crusades and the Plague. For our final project students will construct their own castles utilizing various online platforms.
⅞ OE: In Middle School Outdoor Education this month we have been continuing to learn our WFR curriculum. The students have been practicing patient assessments including primary and secondary protocols. We have also been working on applicational steps, learning how to apply braces and secure fractures and dislocations in the backcountry.
⅞ Performing Arts: The ⅞ grade class are learning improv skills while developing characters linked together in what will likely manifest into a sketch showcase. They’ve also been individually assigned a musical theater composer to educate them on the influence on how early musical theater performances used theater to educate audiences on matters both social and political.
Winter Journey
Another extended journey down in the 2023-2024 school year! The students were troopers in the cold weather and were all team players when trying new things like snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Their continued resilience is always impressive! We are looking forward to our upcoming trips to Washington D.C. and Salt Lake City this spring.
Windswept Written by: Anonymous
The hillside stands tall below us as we look down upon the expanse. Our tracks wind and slither down the hill, looping and curving like a hawk in flight. The valley below stretches to the far reaches of sight, towering mountains jutting up sharply from fallow fields. Sun shafts pierce through the mists and clouds on those fields, painting an ethereal picture of serenity. We stand, as a unit, huddled together to fend off the blowing wind. It creeps under our jackets, numbing our damp hands and bitten chins. It is interesting to think–that of the many people set out on this expedition, we are the only ones there. They have not an inkling of the experience they will be bereft without. Truly, it is comfort that is our greatest enemy, stealing our precious moments from us. One is greatly rewarded when they embrace the unknown and uncharted, and have faith they will become better for it.
