Blue Team Weekly Update
Week of 9/16-9/20
Breaking News
- Click here to purchase your Junior Statesmen gear! Deadline to purchase is October 9th!
- Author Joelle Charbonneau will visit our school on Wednesday, October 2nd to talk about her books (including her new book Verify) and her career. At the end of her appearance, she will sign books for any students who wish to purchase them. This author visit is made possible by Webster Groves’ independent bookstore THE NOVEL NEIGHBOR, and Verify (discounted, no tax) is available for this visit only through them. LINK FOR BOOK ORDER FORM
- You can find the link for Remind messages here or text @hxblue to 81010
Every year the PTO organizes an evening meal for the faculty and staff during parent-teacher conferences. This year we will be providing a catered dinner, beverages, snacks and desserts for a quick meal on Monday, October 7, 2019. We need your help to make this all possible. Please click the link below to sign up or donate money. Thank you for your support!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
It is time to begin scheduling our fall Parent/Teacher conferences. Conferences will be held on October 7th, 8th, and 10th. Please visit the link below to schedule conferences with your child's teachers. It will be helpful to have your child's schedule available when visiting the site so that you are able to schedule conferences with all of your child's teachers.
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Hixson_Middle_School_1
For a video tutorial on how to use the conference scheduling site, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n85H2veT8ZM
If you have any questions, please email your child's teachers or call the main office at 963-6450.
Upcoming Due Dates
Scholastic Book Orders due by 9/30
Two books personal reading books for September are due by 10/4. Fill out completed book forms as you finish your books.
Mark Your Calendars
Friday, September 20: Hixson Band plays halftime show at WGSD football game
Thursday, September 26: Hixson Speaker Series Event 5:30-8:30pm
Classroom Happenings
ELA: Mrs. Camden
In ELA this week we started learning about Greek & Latin roots. Students will be given a new root each week with 10 related words, and will take a quiz each Friday. This week’s root word Foli: leaf.
We also learned two new reading signposts: Memory Moments and Words of the Wiser. Students should be recognizing signposts as they read and making thinkbook entries that show their thinking around the signposts. Notes on each signpost should be glued in their thinkbooks for reference.
Just a reminder, students will be required to read two books each month for the rest of the school year. They should be finished with one of the two books for September.
I turned in Scholastic book orders today Friday, September 13th. If you are interested in placing an order, I will place the next order on Monday September 30th.
If you’d like to donate books to our classroom library, we have wish-lists on Scholastic and Amazon. Thanks!
Science: Mr. Vorel
We are starting a brand new unit this week in Science! We wrapped up our first unit of the year and students took their first summative assessment. Grades have been updated in SIS with their score.
This week we are moving onto our next unit - magnets and electricity! Students will complete two labs focusing on magnetism. The first used different magnet shapes and orientations to map magnetic fields using iron filings. The second will use spring scales to calculate magnetic force and how it can be altered. We will dive into electricity next week with more hands on activities!
Social Studies: Mr. McGinnis
In Social Studies, students found five important global/national/local events that occurred since they were born, in addition to important personal events. We will use them next week. A historian will be coming in to talk with students about journaling. This was set up by Dr. Rachal. Thank you, Dr. Rachal.
We also started our study of the causes of the American Revolution.
We are reading non-fiction and anytime you can give them something to read at home (National Geographic or other
magazines, sports, newspapers, etc) that is non-fiction, it will help them improve their comprehension skills and ability to recall details from non-fiction.
Another way to get them to read non-fiction is to send them links to news stories that might interest them.
If you have not yet please click on the link to get information on our Springfield Trip.
LINK: shorturl.at/puAV1
In addition, please fill out the Google form - https://forms.gle/6ZtPTdtqVMzHNk1c7
- so that we can estimate how many students plan on going with us. This will allow us to set the price for the trip. We will be going to Springfield IL 5/13/2020.
Contact Us
Mr. McGinnis: mcginnis.tim@wgmail.org
Mr. Vorel: vorel.adam@wgmail.org