May 1, 2026 NEWSLETTER

ALL CITY LPS CHAMPIONSHIP MEET:  

• MAY 6, Wednesday-Field Events (High Jump, Long Jump & Shot Put) Start time/Place TBD

• MAY 7, Thursday-Running events-Start Time: 4:15  @ UBT Stadium/Northwest High School

As we head into the final weeks of school, it can be easy for students to lose focus. Staying motivated now is important to finish the year feeling proud and confident!

Here are a few simple tips to help:

Set short-term goals: Focus on what you can accomplish this week or even today.

Break it down: Big assignments feel easier when you split them into smaller steps.

Stay focused on the finish line: Finishing strong now helps set you up for success next year.

Encourage your student to keep putting in effort, even when it feels tough. A strong finish makes a big difference!

Mr. G

We have completed our final DCA of the year where the students learned about the interactions between Spanish conquistadors and what happened during their interactions with different native groups. Currently the students are learning about Christopher Columbus. The capstone project with our new unit is designed to challenge students to think about the impact Christopher Columbus’ voyages had on the world both positively and negatively. How history should view Columbus is a heated topic and we’re challenging students to hear various historical perspectives on his legacy and allow them to formulate their own opinion. The final assignment will be a poster where students present both sides of the argument as to whether or not Columbus should be considered a hero or a villain. 

Over the next few weeks, we will wrap up our final literature unit centered on the guiding question, “Why does reading have value for me?” This unit is designed to help students understand how reading helps them view and understand our world by developing uniquely human "Power Skills" like analytical thinking, emotional intelligence, and resilience. 

Because it is important for students to find their unique value in reading, they have been granted the freedom to select their own books to read for the duration of this unit. Student work is focused on recognizing their interactions with reading and practicing these skills is the first priority, so the book content is secondary and students do not have to finish a book to be successful. Some students will not finish a whole book, and that’s okay; others may finish several, but no matter the pace or length of the book, the challenge for students is to find value in what they read and the “thinking stamina” they build.

Because we are near the end of the school year, it is important to check in with your students frequently on the progress of their daily assignments. Students are asked to complete the 4Q Reader Workbook, a Google Slide deck where they add new slides daily to track their thinking to the text. It’s important to note that students can complete these slides just by reading for 10–20 minutes and then filling out a reflection on a specific "Quotable" phrase or moment. Any book will do!—including graphic novels, manga, or collections of short stories. Because this unit is about students connecting with their reading and not about a specific book, a student is free to use any book available at home if they forget their “official” book at school, ensuring they never hit an obstacle that prevents them from finding success.

Math 7: In Chapter 8 Part 2, students will collect, analyze, describe and compare data, as well as design surveys to collect representative data to draw conclusions. The last test will take place on May 13th. Please encourage your student(s) to turn in missing homework!

Math 7D: In Chapter 10, students will learn to find the cube root of a number and then use this knowledge to find the surface area and volume of various 3D figures. The last test will take place on May 13th. Please encourage your student(s) to turn in missing homework!

Information:

We are continuing on with our Environmental Science unit. Students are learning about how organisms interact with one another and the non-living parts of their ecosystem. We will spend the next couple of weeks exploring what factors can affect changes to population sizes and coming up with solutions for when those changes become drastic and threaten a population. 

UPCOMING ASSESSMENT: Chapter 1 Test: Friday April 24th

Study materials include digital text book pages, vocabulary organizers, kahoot link on google classroom (available Monday 4/20), Guided notes. Students should be reviewing one of these materials for at least 15 minutes every night.

We have been exploring how palm oil is hurting Orangutans in Indonesia. We have determined that replacing palm oil with a substitute oil is not going to help as the other oils use more space than palm oil. This is bad because the plantations are hurting the Orangutans by removing their habitat through deforestation. We are now looking at the human side of palm oil, the farmers and consumers. We will begin by looking at how palm oil benefits the farmers and if it is possible to help the Orangutans and farmers at the same time.

Students just finished Unit 2 about the Communication Model and celebrated the end of the unit by learning how to play the card game called Spoons. They read the written instructions and worked as a group to learn and teach each other the game.  You could ask them to teach you how to play at home.  You’ll need a deck of cards and some spoons. 

Recently, I have spoken to the students about feedback from teachers regarding their learning.  Students have received two learning activities back on paper with written comments and four digital learning activities on Google Classroom with written comments.   They should use the feedback to correct their assignments, improve their learning, and raise their grades.  

We just started Unit 3, which begins with the essential question:  “What does performance poetry allow us to reveal about important issues?” Students have chosen a poem and will be practicing the following delivery skills as they PERFORM the poem for the class.  Delivery skills are eye contact, inflection (voice tone and volume matching the mood of the poem), gestures and movement, facial expressions, pronunciation, poise, rate, and volume.    Students can be practicing the poem aloud at home and working to memorize it.   

 As always, please contact me with any questions, concerns or other feedback you have.  The school number is 402.436.1214 and my school email is skroenk@lps.org

Students are enjoying learning about German culture.  We are exploring food and life as a kid living in Germany.  In our final two units, we will learn about Japanese and Chinese culture, focusing on holidays and traditions.

Current Unit: We are currently working on our Radial Symmetry Unit where students looked at art around the world to find examples of radial symmetry. We also looked at contemporary artists Kristen Farr, Gabriel Schama and Shona Wilson who create modern radial designs in their work. Students then focused on shape and line to create their own radial designs which will be painted in acrylic paint this month. 

Looking Ahead:  

Up next, students will start their clay unit focusing on Pop Art! Stay tuned. :)

Students finished their unit on Google Docs earlier this week and are currently working on assignments for the Google Slides unit, where they have been doing a mini research project on a state and putting their information into a google slides presentation. Next week, they will be doing research on famous person and presenting their information to the class in a Google Slides presentation. 

Rewards Plus: We just finished testing over Unit 12- Earthquakes.  Please talk with your student and check Synergy to see how they are performing on the assessments.  We started a new unit yesterday where we will be reviewing the many writing and reading strategies and skills we have been practicing throughout the year, using a story about “Weather”. 

Rewards Secondary: We just finished a unit where we used scientific claims to review all the reading and writing skills we have been practicing.  Today we continued with our unit on two refugees, Aluel and Gabriel.  We will be using the skills and strategies we have been learning throughout the year as we learn more about their journey.

****Please encourage your child to read at home, practice fluency and practice spelling words.