The Eaglet
Volume 5, Issue 4
Note from the Principal
Welcome back to all our families! I hope everyone had a restful break and is excited for the second half of the school year.
The Middle School has a new administrative assistant, Jill Elliott. She will be taking over for Mrs. Rose as she starts her retirement. Please call or email her at elliottj@dist3.org with any questions or concerns about absences or building usage.
New Recycle Initiative
Did you know:
Plastic bottles require up to 450 years to dissolve.
90% of the cost of bottled water is the bottle itself.
80% of plastic bottles never get recycled.
38 million plastic bottles go to landfill each year in America alone.
With that being, said Fox River Grove Middle School will begin a recycling program that will encourage students to recycle their plastic bottles. To get the ball rolling this program will be a fun competition among grade levels. Each month, grades will compete against each other to collect the most plastic bottles. The winning grade will receive a prize at the end of the month. Special recycle bins will be in each grade-level hall making it easier for students to recycle. ***Please note that we ask students to only recycle empty bottles and remember, we ultimately encourage students to bring a reusable water bottle to school. Good luck and may the most bottles be collected!!
Band
The bands will be starting fresh with new music after our wonderful Winter Concert in December. We will be working towards preparing musical pieces for our Spring Concert. Save the date for Thursday, May 16th at 7pm. This concert will be combined with our choir and the Algonquin Road School choir!
Choir
The choir will begin the year with new music in preparation for our Spring Concert. We will be combining forces with the Algonquin Road School choir for a special “District Concert” in May. Save the date for Thursday, May 16th at 7pm. The choir is also welcoming new students who would like to be a part of the group for the second half of the year. See Ms. Schneyr for details on how to join. Come sing with us!
5th Grade
Lit: Students will begin our second class novel, The Cay, while completing class discussions and literary journals.
GW: Students will complete a month-long unit on Figurative Language and continue to work on writing stamina throughout each week.
Math: Students will review long division and move into dividing with decimals.
Science: Students will use models to describe that energy in animals' food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and used to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
SS: Students will complete a unit on the 13 colonies and begin the “Road to the Revolutionary War” unit soon after.
STEM: Students are working on building robots and developing code to move them.
Art: 5th Grade students started off the second trimester beautifully focusing on the element of art form and creating an abstract paper sculpture. Once the sculptures were done we switched gears and began to focus on the element of art, line. Students learned about how line variation could add interest to a work of art. We recently wrapped up some holiday drawings focusing on both line and pattern. As we move into 2024 we will learn about the element of art value and color. Students will have opportunities to work with and learn about shading with pencil as well as chalk pastel. Art historical references will continue to be a part of learning in the new year as well.
6th Grade
General: Please encourage your child to follow the weekly agendas posted on Classroom; the daily assignments posted on Padlet; and their grades posted on PowerSchool.
Lit: We are in the middle of our Stars Beneath Our Feet novel. When this unit is complete, we will dive into Cinderella stories from around the world. This will be very student-driven, offering choice and self-pacing. The students will find common threads running through the diverse fairy tales. AR continues and can be monitored through Rennaisance; students know the username and password.
GW: Students will complete a month-long unit on pronouns while continuing to listen/work through our class podcast and vocabulary.
6th Grade Math: Students are nearing the end of our unit on Percents, and will be moving into Algebraic Expressions and Properties.
6th Grade Acc Math: Students will be working on ratios and proportions. Students will be able to write and interpret ratios, represent equivalent ratios, and model ratio relationships.
Science: Students will apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that maximizes thermal energy transfer.
SS: Students are continuing to learn about Ancient Greece. They will soon be starting a student-led assignment in which they will work in groups to gather information on two assigned topics to teach to the class.
Health: Students will be learning about the Circulatory and Respiratory systems this month.
Art: 6th Grade students started off the second trimester beautifully focusing on the element of art ‘ form and creating an abstract paper sculpture. Once the sculptures were done we switched gears and began to focus on the element of art, line. Students learned about how line variation could add interest to a work of art. We recently wrapped up some holiday drawings focusing on both line and pattern. As we move into 2024 we will learn about the element of art value and color. Students will have opportunities to work with and learn about shading with pencil as well as chalk pastel. Art historical references will continue to be a part of learning in the new year as well.
Music: 6th Grade music students will start the new year by learning proper drumstick technique and how to play the bucket drum! Students will get to use their knowledge of steady beat and rhythm to learn some “drumline warmups,” play traditional rock beats, and create their own drum compositions.
7th Grade
General: Please encourage your child to follow the weekly agendas posted on Classroom; the daily assignments posted on Padlet; and their grades posted on PowerSchool.
Lit: We are still reading The Outsiders. When this unit is over, we will begin our non-fiction book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. This follows the plot to kill Lincoln and other top officials in Washington, as well as the search for the assassin and conspirators in the days following President Lincoln’s death. AR continues and can be monitored through Renaissance; students know the username and password.
Resource Lit: We just completed our non-fiction unit and will be starting “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor.
GW: The students will wrap up the Pro/Con research paper following break. This will be the basis for the oral debate which will also take place during 2nd trimester. Podcasts and vocabulary continue as well as grammar lessons.
7th Grade Math: Students will be finishing our chapter on Equations & Inequalities, and then moving into our chapter on ratios and proportions. Students will be able to write and interpret ratios, represent equivalent ratios and model ratio relationships.
7th Grade Resource Math: We will be working on ratios and percentages.
7th Acc Math: Students will learn more about rational numbers and dive into geometry topics such as angles and shapes.
Algebra: Students will learn about solving systems of linear equations. Students will be able to identify systems of linear equations and describe different methods for solving systems of linear equations.
Science: Students will be finishing the unit on Plants & Reproduction, and then move into the unit with focus on Genetics & Evolution. Students will learn all about common ancestors and compare the traits and features of related organisms.
SS: Students will continue discussing and learning about the origins of the United States of
America and the problems facing the new nation.
STEM: Students are working on dimensioning objects and working with CAD programs.
Art: 7th Grade students started off the second semester learning about the importance of typography in our visual culture. Students examined different types of fonts and text, then created an artwork based on the letters in their name using markers as the medium of choice. Color, pattern, neatness and craftsmanship were all taken into consideration when creating. Students recently wrapped up a chalk pastel unit. Students had a lot of choice during the chalk unit and used technology to enhance their learning. As we move into 2024 we will continue our exploration of different media with a focus on watercolor technique. Art historical references will continue to be a part of learning in the new year as well.
8th Grade
General: 8th graders should have received their placements from the high school. Students will be going to Cary-Grove High School on Tuesday, January 16 to get an electives tour to see the different options that are available. Be on the lookout for that permission slip.
Lit: Students are finishing up their Christmas Carol unit and jumping from one classic to another. We will be leaving jolly old England and heading west to California with John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
GW: As the new year begins, 8th graders will be reviewing adjectives and learning all about verbals in Grammar & Writing. Towards the end of January, students will begin researching their Career Project which will culminate with a trip to McHenry County College’s Career Quest.
Resource GW: Students will be starting their research for Pro and Con paper.
8th Grade Math: Students will learn more about rational numbers and dive into geometry topics such as angles and shapes.
8th Grade Resource Math: We will be working on ratios and percentages.
Algebra: Students will learn about solving systems of linear equations. Students will be able to identify systems of linear equations and describe different methods for solving systems of linear equations.
Geometry: Students will move into learning about quadrilaterals. The winter final will be at the end of January.
Science: Students will be finishing the unit on History of Earth, with a focus on transitioning into Earth’s Processes. Students will then explore the different processes that our planet undergoes, such as the rock cycle, water cycle, and geological events that shape our continents.
SS: Students will be learning about the Great War and how its outcome affected the rest of the century. Next, the students will explore the Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression eras.
Health: Students are learning about injury & violence prevention. Students will create projects to demonstrate understanding of these topics. Next, students will learn about how to stay emotionally healthy.
Spanish: 8th Graders finished their crash course in Spanish basics: Greetings/Farewells and Courtesy, the Spanish Alphabet and Phonics, Numbers and Telling Time, and the Calendar. Now we will try to apply some of what we have learned to make conversations. Upcoming units include Seasons and the Weather and Descriptions.
STEM: Students are working coding and building a robot using the mechanisms of simple gear trains, bevel gears, and universal joints.
