October's Newsletter-Green Team

English 7-We have and will continue to work through our “Parts of Speech/ Grammar” Unit, while incorporating some scary stories to get ready for Halloween. Our first 5 paragraph essay “First Impressions” is done! The students did a great job.

In November, we will be exploring the Klondike in The Call of the Wild by Jack London. You should see a packet come home, and there will be a quiz after every chapter. So, the students will need to keep reading and reviewing every night.

Also, our units 1-4 vocabulary test will happen in November. All words and flashcards will be posted to Quizlet.com, and they are also posted to Google Classroom.

Please keep checking Google Classroom for homework and class updates.

English 8- The students did an amazing job with the novel Long Way Down. Their essays were great. My favorite part of this unit was the class discussion/debates about different/ difficult topics the novel brought up. The students were very passionate in their arguments. It was awesome to watch.

We are about halfway through our second novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. At the beginning of the unit, I asked the students to decide who they thought the real monster was. As we read, they are seeing the many sides of the different characters and have realized there is more than one monster in this story. They are doing a great job!

Also, our units 1-4 Vocabulary Test will happen in November. All words and flashcards will be posted to Quizlet.com, and they are also posted to Google Classroom.

Students really excelled in the first Chapter 1 test, grades are on Aspen! We are working on our unit on Mesopotamia and it is very exciting! We went to scribe school where students recreated the alphabets and symbols of the Sumerian and Phoenician alphabets using clay tablets (play dough). We watched a great series of videos that brought us back to the ancient land of Sumer and even put on a simulation that allowed us to trade, create a language, make blueprints for a Ziggurat and build a catapult! We played Jenga to understand primary sources and tumbled down the competition! We will be finishing this chapter in the first week of November with a test! We will be learning about the Ancient Israelites in November. Make sure to check Aspen for missing work and Google Classroom for homework each night!

Students in the 8th grade are becoming civic citizens more and more each day! We watch the news each class and stay up to date with what is happening all around the globe. Students love this part of class, please ask your student about their favorite parts! Carl Azuz is the anchor and he is fun to watch! In addition to the news, we have been learning some background information on why our country was formed. We learned events of the Revolutionary War to better understand the “why” of how our country become the nation it is today. Students have been working hard learning about primary sources, they have been analyzing documents and using MLA to cite their own. A big project we are working on is for National History Day, each student must collect multiple sources to research a topic of their choice under the theme of “Breaking Barriers”. They have been working hard to start but this will be going on until the due date in January. Most of this project is expected to be completed outside of school. If a student needs a place to work on NHD, I highly recommend staying in my classroom after school. I have so many resources and can give 1:1 support. Please check Aspen and Google Classroom to stay up to date on the assignments.

Robin Hood, straight out of Sherwood Forest and into our classroom. Together, we will read the more infamous stories behind the man and legend. Along with Robin and his Merry Men come many different themes including deceit, revenge, disguise, and loyalty. Students will be taking notes on each character, and quizzes will be based on information shared in class as well as from the hyperdoc. Various activities will be completed as part of this unit. It is VERY important that everyone pay attention so nothing is missed. We will put spelling quizzes on hold for now and focus on all things Robin Hood.

Parents, please encourage your students to read each day. Ask them about the reading strategies they should incorporate every time they read. These reading strategies should be applied in each subject. Also, continue to check google classroom for announcements and updates.

Have a safe Halloween!

We’re almost done with the first term. C block’s test is on Monday November 4, and E & F block’s tests are on Tuesday November 5. This test will count on the student’s 1st term grade. All of our tests can be found on Edulastic. Students can review the past tests and work on the practice tests on that site using their Google login. I know many of you are concerned about the student’s grades. In previous years, the student’s worst grade is their first term grade. It tends to go up the 2nd term, but it’s because the students start realizing what they need to change to have a better grade. If you would like to see your student do a little better in Term 2, please remember we have after school help on Mon-Thurs (make sure they check in case there is a meeting) and during PB. In term 2, we’re going to be focusing on percentages, angles, and equations.

We will continue to have IXL and Khan academy assignments due on Sundays. On Veteran’s Day weekend, the assignment will be due on Monday, and there will be no assignment the week of Thanksgiving. If you have any questions, please let me know.

We are going to start a section on angles. We learned a lot about angles in 6th and 7th grades, and we are going to build on that knowledge. We’ll continue to look at angles in various shapes and add in the angles formed by parallel lines. We will continue to have IXL and Khan academy assignments due on Sundays. On Veteran’s Day weekend, the assignment will be due on Monday, and there will be no assignment the week of Thanksgiving. I have really enjoyed 8th grade this year. I was a little nervous about having the students again because I didn’t want them to get tired of me. It has been fun teaching something new to students who I already know. I know it is a little more difficult this year without a tutor, but I am trying my best to be available after school as often as possible. Please let me know if there are any issues or if there are any ways you think may be helpful in teaching your students.

In October, we have been very busy in Science Class! We are still working on our first major science unit - Earth Science. We will discuss volcanoes, the water cycle, and renewable vs. nonrenewable resources in the coming weeks, and then be able to focus on reviewing for and taking Exam #1. The students have worked really hard this month creating metaphors for the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, and presenting them to their classmates. After the unit test, we will move on to studying interactions within the environment and other ecology topics, which are all a part of our life science unit. Please continue to check Google Classroom for assignments, notes, and announcements! Also, please check Aspen to stay up-to-date with your student’s grade in science class - make sure we are all turning in those weekly research assignments!

Grade 8 - October has been an out-of-this-world experience in 8th grade, as we have been taking a tour through the solar system to further study celestial bodies, planets, moon phases, eclipses, and tides. We are still in our first major unit in science - Earth Science. We will focus on weather and weather patterns next, and then begin to review for and then take Exam # 1. The students in 8th grade have seemed to enjoy learning about our universe, and how really small we are! Once we finish our first exam, the students will look at organisms adaptations to environments, genetics, and heredity. We will discuss mutations in DNA, natural selection, as well as evidence for the theory of evolution. It is shaping up to be a busy November! Please continue to check Google Classroom for assignments, notes, and announcements! Also, please check Aspen to stay up-to-date with your student’s grade in science class - make sure we are all turning in those weekly research assignments!

There will be a food drive beginning November 4th and runs through November 12th. The powerblock on each team that brings in the most non-perishable items will receive a powerblock reward. All proceeds go to the West Bridgewater Food Bank.

November 1st - end of first term

November 4th - beginning of second term

November 8th - First term report cards will be available on ASPEN, included will be information on how to sign up for Conferences.

November 11th - No School

November 22nd - Half day of school and afternoon parent teacher conferences

November 25th and 26th - Half day of school and nighttime parent teacher conferences.

November 28th and 29th - Thanksgiving Recess.

Southeastern Regional Vocational High School came in and did a presentation to students on October 2nd. One of the items that the SE counselor stressed was acceptances are based on grades, attendance, discipline, an interview, and a sending school recommendation. Your child should be in school and making good decisions, if they truly would like to attend SE. They receive over one thousand applications for three hundred and seventy five seats in the freshman class.

If you have questions about the school and their programs, there will be an open house on Saturday, November 23rd. Students must register for the open house on the Southeastern Website. Also on the site is the application, students can complete it at any time. I would highly encourage your student to apply if they have any interest, if they change their minds, they can decline the acceptance.

If you have any further questions about this or other potential high schools for your student please do not hesitate to reach out to me, awilder@wbridgewater.com or 508-894-1220 ext 1310.