8th Grade 3rd Quarter Newsletter

This week rings in a new semester of art students! We are off and running, starting off with our zentangle art project. After choosing an image to place in the center of their paper, students will fill in their image (and surrounding parts) with creative designs and patterns. We use sharpies to create various bold or light designs, each one unique. They are called “zen”tangles because drawing these patterns creates a therapeutic and relaxing state. The repetitive nature of these patterns help students forget about everything else and just get drawn into this fun and beautiful artwork. I’m looking forward to seeing the results!

We have begun this semester with a staggering 58 choir members. We are beginning our new music which centers around Popular styles. Students will be singing a song from “Moana”, Billie Eilish, possibly Dua Lipa, and Bill Withers. Students will also be engaging in more music theory by doing daily sightreadings, vocabulary, and reflections. Mark your calendars for our next concert which is February 23rd at 6:30 PM. Students also had permission slides for the King’s Island trip get sent home. Please keep an eye out for the slip and note that they are due February 9th.

We’ve got a new group of students in engineering, and it’s been a pleasure getting to connect and learn about each other in the first few days of class. We’re excited to start our first project: Ping Pong Madness! Students will work in groups of ~3 to design a launcher and catcher for a ping pong ball, given very limited materials. Topics include defining a problem, brainstorming, project documentation, physics, statistics, and geometry.

We will be participating in fun team centered games focusing on respect and teamwork. In health we will be creating attainable goals for this semester and taking a look at how our habits can positively affect us.

As we begin the new semester, a new group of students adventures through World Languages and Cultures. We started the quarter with a “getting to know you” activity, along with a deeper dive into “Who Am I?” - discovering ancestral history. Students worked through creating a slide deck that shares more about their family lineage and what makes them unique!

As we move through the next several weeks, students will begin receiving exposure to other cultures around the globe. In the early part of this course, we will focus on Africa, Indigenous Peoples, Latin America, and an introduction to the Spanish language, with a mix of class discussions, in class projects, and presentations. Supporting your student by asking them about these cultures and what they are learning will translate into valuable conversations inside the classroom, and ultimately help them further develop their presentation skills and confidence to speak in front of their peers.

This week, ELA students started reading and analyzing the literary elements of folktales, including myths, legends, and fables. We will continue by examining “The Hero’s Journey” and how many stories follow this framework. After we wrap up, we will be moving into our argumentative writing and debate unit. Students will work to research and evaluate information in order to defend a topic. All students have also selected an independent novel to read throughout the third quarter. Please talk with your student about the book they have selected and continue to encourage them to read outside of school.

8th Grade Math

This week 8th graders started our Transformations unit, where students will draw on their knowledge of graphing in the coordinate plane. By graphing transformations and identifying the coordinates of their images, students will understand how these transformations affect the x and y coordinates of a preimage. Students will apply this understanding of using coordinate notation to determine the coordinates of an image from the coordinates of its preimage.

Ways to support your child’s understanding of transformations by discussing transformations in everyday life.

• Video Games: Discuss with your child how video game designers and programmers use geometric transformations when creating video games.

• Architecture: Discuss with your child how architects and engineers use geometric transformations when designing buildings and bridges.

• Interior Design: Discuss with your child how interior designers use geometric transformations when decorating spaces for commercial or residential use.

Algebra Class

This quarter students are finishing up their unit on data analysis and scatter plots. They did an amazing job on their midterms in December - please check Canvas to view your child’s grade (also on their grade card). The second half of the year focuses on nonlinear functions. We start with exponential functions then move into quadratic functions and inequalities. Obviously these are subject to change but important dates to make a note of…

• Chapter 6 Assessment (Two Variable Data Analysis): Friday, 1/12

• Chapter 7 Assessment (Exponential Functions): Thursday, 2/1

• Chapter 8 Assessment (Quadratic Functions): Friday, 2/23

• Chapter 9 Assessment (More Quadratics & Inequalities): Wednesday, 3/13

Before every assessment, I have one or two in class review days where I give students practice activities, task cards, puzzles, practice tests, etc. These are given to everyone and they are also linked on Canvas with answer keys. As always, please reach out to me with ANY questions you may have and please utilize Canvas! I have parent guides linked under each module that are very helpful and my calendar is updated daily. Quick reminder about my HW policy - HW is NOT for a grade but highly encouraged. The second half of the year is always a little bit more challenging for students and if there was ever a time to do homework, that time is now!